Faces
by LilMizAmbrose
Summary: A WWE AU: After Vince McMahon died of illness, things were put in charge of both of his children. Stephanie snapped. The thought of having all of her father's fortune in her hands blinded her views of morality. Insanity was quick to take over afterwards. She became power hungry, wanted all the money she could get from her father's will, and didn't care what she did to get it.
1. Chapter 1: Dystopia

Chapter 1: Dystopia

The streets are quiet, and they're dark.

No one roams. It's lonely.

Not just that, but it's eerie. The reason why no one wants to roam the streets. Not tonight, not ever. There's no sounds other than the occasional pass of vehicles, maybe the rumble of the subways below the street. The only source of light comes from the neon signs of the city, that even still flicker and fade out every so often, making it that hard to see. Even the streetlights have been turned off.

And no one wants to roam the streets at night because it's dangerous to be spotted.

They're searching. They always search as soon as it's dark.

But no one really knows... Who are _they?_

After Vince McMahon died of illness, things were put in charge of both of his children 一 Stephanie and Shane. And when this was the case, Stephanie snapped. The thought of having all of her father's fortune in her hands blinded her views of morality. Insanity was quick to take over afterwards. She became power hungry, wanted all the money she could get from her father's will, and didn't care what she did, and what were the consequences, to get it.

It would all belong to her, and she wouldn't be willing to share with Shane. She'd have enough money to buy out this city. Claim it as her own. And that's what she was going to do, whether her father would want that of her or not.

First things first, she would have to make sure Shane had no access to his share of the money. Of course, she could make it quick and murder her brother. But that would be ineffective; not only would she get caught by police, but no one would really respect her for doing that. She wanted to be feared. She wanted people to hear her name and fear for their lives.

She got together a bunch of men from the Air Force, willing or not, and she sent them out on a quest. She made it clear to Shane, and every other WWE Superstar who expected her to pay them, that she was out for them. If she caught them, she was going to make their lives miserable. Since then, each and every night, Stephanie and her team goes out above the streets in their helicopters, search lights blaring. Regardless of who it is, if they get caught, it's a death sentence. Civilians will be killed for fear they'll spread the rumor that Stephanie has plans of kidnapping the WWE stars. As for the superstars themselves, once they're within her grasp, they'll never see the light of day again.

As soon as the city grows dark, Shane knows he has a job to do: keep himself and the other superstars safe and sound. Thus far, no one's been caught, but he hasn't let his guard down. Anyone can sneak up on them at any time. That could be lethal.

And he isn't going to lose any of these guys. The ones he's worked so hard to build up, and who, in return, built him up as well.

Tonight, Shane's taken to the streets, but he's made sure he was ready for it. He's driving down the street in a heavily armored vehicle, painted black as the night, every window tinted 一 even the windshield 一 installed with the highest quality mufflers so not even an officer patrolling the sidewalks could hear the truck passing. Unless someone was directly looking for that exact truck, no one would see it at first glance.

In the back, he carries three men, crouching down on the balls of their feet and peering slightly out the windows while staying low enough to avoid being seen. All of them have on different colored masks, and hoodies pulled over their heads: one blue and white, another green and red, and the other orange and yellow. Though they're not the most discreet colors, they hide their faces and identities; that's what matters most. Besides, those three color combinations are what distinguish who's on Shane's side. These three are allies, and they're being hunted down just as much as Shane is.

Where's Shane taking these three, at nearly midnight? Everyone's hiding themselves at the moment, knowing that the searchlights will be scanning the streets any minute now. Even if the truck is well hidden in the dark, there's nothing that can keep them hidden once the searchlights start going off.

These three volunteered themselves as protectors. Just as Shane does on a nightly basis, they make sure that the hidden are safe, and they have everything they need. It's a risky job, and since the team always worked well together when they were a tag team in the WWE, Shane trusted that they'd do their job well. It's a dangerous job, and Shane knew they were cut out as soon as they were the first ones to step forward and volunteer to do the job.

Shane looks over his shoulder briefly at the trio before focusing back on the road. "Where am I dropping you tonight?" he asks. "Anyone move since last night? I know it was busy on the streets this morning... Good time to mix in the crowds and have no worries about getting caught."

"Most of them moved," the man in the blue and white mask says. "Some of them thought they were hearing people walking around in the Far Rockaway station at three in the morning. No one wanted to stick around and figure out if they were with Stephanie. They found safety in the bomb shelter under Broadway. They're setting up their apartments in the cells. I imagine it'll be a lot more roomy than having to sleep in crevices in the "

Shane sighs under his breath. "That's safer than the stations, I'll tell you that," he says. "Broadway it is. Hope it stays safe there... If they can find their secret society once, there's nothing to stop them from looking for their new one."

The superstar in the green and red mask presses his lips together and nods. "Maybe not. But I know they'll be prepared if the society gets stormed. I have faith," he points out. "They know how to fight for show, they can fight for protection. Besides, they clearly know when it's time to move. No one's willing to take risks when it could be their lives."

The most restless of the trio in back, the only one with light hair, adjusts his yellow and orange mask uncomfortably, pulling his hood a little further over his eyes. "You hear, McMahon?" he says. "A lot of them are trying to get out of here. Getting on a bus during the day and going as far as they can. Soon as the bus drops them, they're running. They're going by foot as long as they have to. Never looking back." He shrugs, shaking his head. "Don't blame 'em, though. Once they're out of here, they're safe. No one will go looking for them if they go far enough."

"He's right," the red and green mask says. "I hear the Wyatt Family's somewhere in the woods. The _woods_. I can only imagine what a good place they're in if they've made it to the woods."

Shane can't help but grin. "Doesn't surprise me. They're a smart group of men. Always have been," he says. "Just hope anyone else looking to escape can follow in their footsteps. Stay quiet, out of sight, and move quickly." He averts his eyes up to look at the night sky, a velvety indigo glittered with stars, just to be sure the choppers haven't begun their rounds. "If everything goes right and everyone's able to get somewhere safe, maybe one day we'll be able to have a shot at getting home."

Behind the blue and white mask, a smile tugs at the very corners of the gentleman's lips, but doesn't make it very far. "It'd be nice to go home, hm?" he says. "Live a normal life. Not have to worry about where we'll be sleeping, when we need to get moving... Who's gonna get hurt." Though his smile never fades, he sighs gently. "It's alright. Right now, we've got a job to do. Keep the others safe. Help whoever we can get away with their lives."

Shane chuckles. "Knew I picked the right trio to help me out."

When he's at the right place - the bomb shelter on Broadway street marked with the black and yellow radiation sign against a brick wall - Shane parks the car, but never shuts off the engine.

"This is your stop, boys," he says. "Do what you do best: protect and serve. I know you won't disappoint me."

"Will do, McMahon," the blue and white mask says with a dip of the chin.

Yellow and orange cocks his head. "Where you gonna be?" he asks.

Shane points down the road. "Usual place. Back of this truck amongst the other armored vehicles," he says.

With a sigh, green and red shakes his head. "Still don't condone you doing that, McMahon," he says. "Doesn't sound safe to me."

Shane brushes it off with a chuckle. "It is risky, I acknowledge it," he says. "But it's a good place to keep watch of where they're going. Lets me know if I gotta get you guys up and out before they can find you. I never leave the truck, and I never sleep, so it's easy to get going on short notice. You'll know if they've got me - trust me, they'll be flaunting around my dead body on a stake." His expression grows much more serious, and much more grim. "And you know what to do if that happens."

Yellow and orange cocks his head to the other side. "Yeah. Pretty sure I know," he says.

Shane just chuckles, shaking his head and looking to the other two. "Remind him if he forgets," he says. "Stay safe tonight. I'll see you tomorrow at sunset."

On that note, the trio climbs out of the back of the truck, and watch carefully as Shane drives away, slightly over the speed limit to make sure he gets into position before the choppers start their excursion. The trio heads on into the bomb shelter, making sure no one's following them. As soon as the coast is clear, they open the door just enough, slip in, then close it just as quickly. No one is allowed to see their hiding place, not even an ordinary civilian, in fear of who they might really be working for. No risks will be taken.

"Quiet tonight," yellow and orange points out, voice low.

"Creepy quiet," red and green agrees. "Guess it's precaution for worst-case scenario... If Stephanie's men somehow found this place. Best to make sure it that absolutely no one knows where they are before treating this place like home."

Blue and white sighs, shoulders dropping. "Sad. No one even remembers what started the dystopia," he says. "They're just used to living in it. Busy days, trying to get stuff done before night falls. Abandoned city at night in fear of death." He gives his head a shake to brush off the sudden sadness. "Alright. Let's see what's going on around here."

Side by side, the trio begins to walk into the brick hallways to find their colleagues and friends, staying on the lookout for any bright orange flags tied outside of any living quarters: a sign that someone's in need of assistance. Even if there aren't any, it's still best to check on those who previously needed help, or those who have kids to look after.

Seeing as it's now safe, and their identities are protected by the closed door of the bomb shelter, the trio shakes the hoodies from their heads, and pulls their masks from their face. Two of the men fling their championship belts over their shoulder - their one possessions left from when WWE existed.

The three men are none other than the unshakable tag team known as The Shield.

Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose.


	2. Chapter 2: Good Guys Are Hard to Find

_Chapter 2: Good Guys Are Hard to Find_

Tonight, everyone seems to be doing well. They've made themselves comfortable in their living spaces, no one is in need of emergency assistance. Even still, The Shield decides to check in on how Daniel Bryan and Kane are holding up tonight, considering they've got their kids to look after. The two sets of twin boys are only nine and six years old, and moving due to such a life-threatening situation must be taking a toll on the poor things. They're so young, and no one should have to have their innocence ruined so young by something like this.

Sure enough, the trio finds Kane and Bryan safe and sound in their hideaway, big enough for the six of them to live in. Kane, unmasked himself, stands on guard in the doorway, while Bryan sits himself in the worn-out, wooden rocking chair with the velvety, red cushions, using his heel to rock himself backwards and forwards in a comforting motion.

"Hey," Rollins greets the two of them with a soft grin. "How are things over here?"

Kane gives Rollins his half-smile, dipping his chin in a greeting. "They're good," he says. "Finally got settled in... Really appreciative that the others gave us the bigger room. Knew the kids might get restless after spending an entire day in here."

Bryan chuckles. "Boys will be boys, am I right?" he says. "They take after their Papa." He averts his eyes in Kane's direction. "Gonna have to take them out for fresh air tomorrow during the day... They'll be a nightmare tomorrow night if they're in here another whole day."

Reigns smiles. "Can only imagine," he says. "They're quiet right now. Where are they?"

Kane looks over his shoulder, nodding in the direction of the corner. All four of their sons are fast asleep in their designated corner, each in the own sleeping bag. None of them make a peep, far too tired to even roll over in their sleep.

"Wow, I never would have seen them. They're sleeping so well," Ambrose says. "Tired themselves out today, huh?"

"I'd say," Kane sighs. "Rowdy boys like them lose their mind if they're cooped up too long. Good to see them asleep. I'd never sleep again if it meant they'd be able to have a peaceful sleep through this whole thing. Nothing kills me more as their Papa than them asking and asking to please, _please_ go outside, and having to explain to them why they can't

Reigns breathes out through tight lips. "I understand. They're such great boys. It isn't fair they have to go through this," he says. "You two are great parents to them, and you're obviously doing everything you can. Before you know it, it'll be all over. Everything's gonna be okay for them."

Kane reaches out and pats him on the shoulder. "We're doing what we can," he says. "Our boys are our world... Couldn't imagine what that world would be like if we didn't have 'em. It's our job to protect them with our lives."

Bryan presses his lips together, stopping his movements in the chair by pressing into the floor with the heels of his boots, and rocking his chair backwards. He's silent for a bit, holding in a tense breath before finally letting it go. "I know that some of the others were planning an escape route. You know, get out of the city during the day before sundown and just keep running." He looks up at The Shield, eyes slightly worried. "We were thinking of leaving here, too, at some point. Figured it'd be best for the boys to get them someplace safe and away from all this. That way no one has to worry."

Ambrose grins quite warmly, a stark change from his usual aggressive facial expression. "That's great news," he says. "Good thinkin' on your part. Best to get the kids outta here before someone else catches 'em."

Bryan half-smiles, but that concerned look never leaves his eyes as he averts his eyes back towards the ground. "We were thinking the same thing. It won't be easy, but in the end, it's the best thing we can do for the kids," he mutters under his breath, voice so quiet that's it's hard to hear over the radiators. "It's just... I'd feel bad doing it."

Kane scratches his nose, looking slightly uncomfortable. Clearly, he knows what's going on, but isn't sure how to comfort Bryan, since he's left the particular decision up to him.

Rollins cocks his head. "Oh? What's holding you back?" he questions. "If it's about the kids, don't worry. I'm sure they'd be happy to leave this place. I mean, sure, they don't know what's really going on, but they hate being cooped up. Soon as they're out of here and someplace safe enough, they'll be able to run free."

Bryan sighs. "I know. I want it to be that way too. It's not that," he says. When he looks up again, this time, there's pain in his cloudy blue eyes. "It's Shane. I don't want to leave Shane here to suffer by himself. He's my best friend... He's in the scariest situation out of all of us living down here, and I want to be there for him if something goes wrong. I'd feel guilty if something were to happen and I wasn't there to help him. We've always been there for each other, and I'd hate to leave him alone when he needs me most."

The Shield looks to each other, and they smile. At last, Reigns speaks up. "Think, Bryan. Get out of here. Do it for Shane. That's what he would want," he says. "Do you really think that he would want you and Kane and your _four_ kids to have to stay here, worry about someone getting caught, or having to move all the time, or the little ones seeing something they can't unsee? It'd take a lot of weight off of his shoulders knowing that his best friend's somewhere safe, with all of his kids accounted for."

Ambrose flashes his signature smirk, resting his arm on Reigns' shoulder, and his weight against his body. "'Sides," he says. "You don't gotta worry about McMahon's safety. That's why he's got us. We'll take care of him for you. Keep him out of trouble. Talk him out of making stupid decisions." With his free hand, he reaches out and slaps Kane on the shoulder. "You two focus on getting your kids to safety, mkay?"

Kane smiles... Really smiles. "Damn. No wonder McMahon put you in charge," he mutters. "You know what's up. We'll trust your decision."

Finally, Bryan relaxes too, continuing to rock himself carefully in the chair. "Thanks, you three," he breathes. "Really. We owe you one when this is all over. You've got a pretty insane job to do, and you do it well." He rakes the light brown hair out of his eyes with his fingers. "The good guys are getting pretty hard to find in this day and age."

Rollins nods in agreement. "They are. But we'll be here when you need those guys," he reassures them. "You gonna be good for tonight? You have enough food, blankets, things to make it through tonight in one piece, at the very least?"

Kane nods. "We'll be good. Anything we don't have tonight, we'll be able to smuggle something tomorrow," he says. "Thanks for checking in."

"No problem," Reigns says. "You need anything, we'll be around. No time to sleep, am I right?"

Kane chuckles. "Yeah. Can't remember when the last time I got some _sleep_ was, even."

Knowing that Bryan, Kane, and the kids will be okay throughout tonight, The Shield keeps patrolling on down the hallways to continue their nightly rounds, making sure that everyone else is comfortable, and they're not in need of any supplies.

The morning will come in no time, and everyone will be out gathering what they need before the time comes to hunker back down in secrecy again.


	3. Chapter 3: Catch 'Em If You Can

Chapter 3: Catch 'Em If You Can

It's getting to be ridiculous.

One would think that they'd be trying to escape at night, when they think they're not being watched, right?

Wrong.

Dead wrong.

Somehow, every single one of those superstars seems to have everything they need at night, never needing to go out and forage, or steal, or go out onto the streets for _anything_. Shane's no exception.

None of her officers can find a _single_ one of them.

Rumor has it that four of them even got away, and no one even knew about it! Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, Erik Rowan, and Matt Hardy. It pisses her off, but at the same time, it doesn't surprise her. Her officers are smart, clever men, but if anyone in the entirety of the WWE could outsmart them, it'd be the Wyatt Family.

But they will be the last ones who escape, she swears by it.

In order to prevent it, she'll need to figure out _how_ the Wyatt Family managed to escape. And when she does that, she can block everyone else from leaving the city, deplete their sources of survival, and get down to business... Killing them. Killing them all.

Just before sunset, two of Stephanie's technicians by the names of Matt and Lukas come into the main office, where Stephanie sits the black, leather chaise lounge with her husband, Paul Levesque. Matt and Lukas rigged public security cameras so the feed can be seen through their computers, and they've been watching the streets intently, studying the activity of the civilians and trying to figure out if there's others amongst them that shouldn't be.

After staring at the screens for an entire day, they've come to a breakthrough.

Upon entering the office, Lukas and Matt stand at attention, and Stephanie and Paul acknowledge them with a simple nod of the head. No words necessary.

"What did you find?" Stephanie asks them, voice hard and apprehensive.

"We've had a certain hunch for a while, boss," Lukas says. "Turns the hunch was right."

Pacing towards the glass coffee table, Lukas and Matt place down their laptop, and begin to roll a few tapes of footage from the security cameras.

"What is this hunch, exactly?" Paul asks, face stone cold, as he holds a demanding stature.

"Your targets have been avoiding going out at night, when we commonly search for them," Matt explains. "In fact, we've found live footage of them out during the day. They've successfully mixed themselves in with civilians and made it much harder for them to be detected."

On that note, Matt hits a button on the laptop, and runs playback of the proof they've gathered.

One frame shows a couple of girls walking down the street of the shopping district; one of them wears a red hoodie, the other white. The hoods block their face, and if it weren't for the hair spilling out of the sides, no one would know who they are. But they can tell, because the iconic hair gives it away. Magenta beach curls spiral from the blue hood, and bleach blonde hair flows from the white one like a waterfall, the ends frosted a neon pink.

The technicians move on, flipping to the next camera, the screen briefly fading out into static before the next video appears. This one shows a girl with long, blonde hair tied into a ponytail walking down the streets in between two men. She has on an aggressive expression, almost like she's ready to fight at any given moment. Her hands are even clenched at her sides. One of the guys she's with has dark hair, and is rather bulked-up with muscle, the other is tall, very thin, and pasty pale; both of them scan the streets apprehensively, holding onto the hilts of their guns and ready to pull them on anyone at anytime if they deem themselves a threat.

There's more fizz, then the next set of images. Two men sitting on a park bench, one with brown hair, the other with ginger, who's also wearing a flat cap. They have two duffle bags zipped open, and they appear to be doing some sort of exchange of weapons, or doing an inventory of ammo, knives, and things of the likes.

Another video shows a burly man, tall and muscular, no hair at all. He's walking down the street with his eyes set on everything, like nothing can go unchecked by him. It's most likely due to the fact that he's flanked by four young boys. None of them seem to understand the gravity of the situation, though, and are just acting like the kids that they are, laughing, shoving each other, play fighting as they follow their father.

One more roll of video feed shows a group of three people: two guys - one rather small and size, and the other larger than the average human male - and an African American girl with red and yellow highlights in her hair. They appear to be examining a city map. A route that a shuttle bus may take to get out of this particular city, to be exact.

Of course, every one of these people are exactly the people that Stephanie is looking to execute.

After viewing the collection, Stephanie and Paul look at each other, knowing what their spouse is thinking - exactly - then back at their technicians. "Ah. So it's true," Stephanie mutters. "Makes it near impossible to catch them, doesn't it? We can't exactly shoot down and maul a bunch of seemingly innocent people during the day." She holds the back of her hand out in front of her, examining her perfectly done French tips. "That, we'll have to save for a later date. When the police understand my goals, and they're working for me."

Matt keeps his attention on his two bosses. "That doesn't appear to be the only issue," he says, pointing to the footage from the final video in the queue. "See, the Wyatt Family has started a bit of a trend. It's encouraged many more of them to try to get out of here and avoid what's coming for them. Here, it appears this group is trying to plan out their escape."

"Hmm, this _does_ sound like a bit of a problem," Paul purrs, tone condescending. "We're going to have to start holding people hostage if we find out that even more of them are beginning to go missing. These are _Stephanie's_ people, after all. She owns them, and therefore, they're expected to work under her. We can't afford perfectly good unpaid workers to go missing."

Lukas looks towards Stephanie. "Ma'am, what actions do you suggest we take?" he questions. "Do we rig more security cameras and see if we can catch any more of them in the act?"

Paul grins darkly towards his wife, taking hold of her hand. "It's your call, my dear," he says. "I know you'll make a smart decision. You always seem to know what to do."

Stephanie returns that smile, gazing into her husband's eyes knowingly. "Of course I know what to do," she croons. "We have no choice but to up security. I'll have officers roaming the streets during the daytime. Perhaps that'll convince my loyal employees not to leave the city when they know they have a burden to carry. And if they put up a fight, well, they'll end up in a miserable place. They'll be wishing they hadn't done it. Wishing they hadn't made the decisions they made to get to this point in their lives. Maybe even wishing they hadn't even been born to experience something so awful." With a sharp laugh, she shrugs. "Nothing wrong with a few of my men keeping them in check. No one leaves on my watch."

Proudly, Paul runs a hand over Stephanie's ponytail, wrapping his hand in the long, silky hair.

Matt nods once in agreement. "Sounds like a valid plan, boss," he says. "But what do you suggest we do if your hitmen are to fail? You won't be able to leave the city to go after them, seeing as you've work to do back here with those who haven't left. Not to mention that your hitmen also have to be on the lookout for any of them both day and night now, correct?"

Momentarily, Stephanie's pride fades, and her smile drops. She takes note that Matt is, in fact, correct. But as always, she's always on top of things, and always thinking. It doesn't take more than a minute for her to think of exactly what needs to be done.

"I wouldn't doubt the ability of the men that I've hired to do the job," she reminds Matt. "They're perfectly capable of putting trained fighters in their place." With another haughty huff, Stephanie smiles, sweeping her bangs off to the side. "I'll just have to hire someone who is able to leave the city. They'll be able to catch 'em."


	4. Chapter 4: Nothing But the Clothes

Chapter 4: Nothing But the Clothes On Their Backs

They've done it.

They studied a map like hell, planned a route, and they're officially out of there. Just a little further, and they'll be considered safe from harm.

Bayley and Elias took a shuttle bus out of New York City approximately three days ago. They brought the bare minimum with them: in Bayley's backpack, she carried some food, water, and a collapsable tent, just big enough for the two of them. As for Elias, he only brought his beloved guitar - the only thing that's kept him sane for as long as it has.

As soon as they hit the edge of the state, the two of them began walking, until they've hit the forests of Vermont, up in the mountain ranges. Since they've made it this far with nothing bad happening, it's a cue for the rest of their group to start coming up too. Back in New York, Alexa Bliss, Sasha Banks, Finn Bálor, Braun Strowman and Ember Moon were told to stay back while Bayley and Elias went, just to be sure the route they were taking was safe. If they were gone for four days with no signs of the two of them getting kidnapped and held hostage by Stephanie and Paul, then all is well, and they can begin to get ready to leave New York as well.

Now, their job is to figure out someplace safe for them to live at until the rest of them can join up, perhaps a cabin or something of the likes. From there, they can figure out what's up, and where they should go next.

Walking through a trail in the woods, Bayley finds it to be soothing. It's quiet, but not a creepy quiet. The few sounds are much different than that of city noises: the crisp crunch of the dried leaves beneath her Converse and Elias' brown boots, the cheerful songs of the birds, the occasional rustle of the breeze through the trees. She could get used to this.

After just enjoying the relaxing sounds of nature for a bit, Bayley looks towards Elias. "This might sound kind of lame," she says to him, slightly startling him as she grabs his attention. "But I've never really been camping before."

Elias raises his eyebrows. "Really? You've never been camping?" he questions. "Not even as a kid?"

Bayley shrugs, shaking her head. "Nope. I suppose the closest I've ever gotten to it was staying at a really terrible inn at the beach one time," she says.

Elias chuckles. "You might like it," he says. "It's liberating, just being out in nature with nothing but the bare minimum. Anytime I disappeared for the weekend and Vince had no idea where the hell I was, I was probably out camping somewhere. Anytime he was miffed, I reminded him it was his idea... Help me control my anger issues." He takes in a big deep breath of the pine forest scent around him. "Really calms the ol' nerves... Nothing like sitting in front of a warm fire at night, looking up at the starry sky, playing a few cords."

Bayley giggles. "Well, when you put it like that, it sounds really nice," she says. Wrapping her arms around each other, she shudders. "Much nicer than having to stay in the city. I don't imagine I'd have to fear for my life out there."

Taking in another breath of his surroundings, Elias lids his eyes. "Glad we came out here to get away from it," he says. "Nowhere I'd rather run off to than the mountains and the forests. Best part is that they'd never be able to find us out here, either. Bet they'd try to look around the beaches first." He looks to Bayley with a smile. "No one I'd rather be stuck out here than with you, either. I made a good choice bringing you along, didn't I, Bayl?"

Bayley laughs, giving Elias a nudge in the ribs. "Aw, man, Elias. I'm happy I came with you, too," she says. Just then, she nearly doubles over laughing. "Imagine having to come out here with Alexa. She'd be a literally diva, and your paradise would be a hell of a lot more like a nightmare."

The thought amuses Elias too, as he chuckles and wraps an arm around Bayley's shoulders, abruptly pulling her in for a hug. "What a priss, huh?" he agrees. "She'd freak as soon as she found out she'd have to be sleeping on the ground. Then there's the dirt and the bugs and everything else." He shakes his head. "I pray for the rest of them. They're gonna have fun traveling with Lexi."

Just then, Bayley falls silent in thought. She looks down at her shoes, watching each step she takes intently, then looks back at Elias. "I worry about them, though," she says. "I hope they make it out of the city safely. I mean, what if Stephanie notices there are less of us around? Do you think that she'd chase after us?"

The sheer idea of it happening makes Elias tense up, breathing out through tight lips. "I would sure hope not... For their sake," he mutters. "They'd have a hard time finding us... And they'd suffer trying to find the Wyatt Family. But if someone sees them leave... It could be dangerous."

Just imaging their friends being unable to make it out of the city makes Bayley nervous inside. It could be a minor annoyance, such as just having a tough time finding the right time to leave because they're being watched or blocked in. But it could also turn out worse... They could get caught trying to leave, and who the hell knows what could happen from there? They could be kept in a prison for such a long time. They could end up being killed. Or worst of all, they could be put through a slow burn: tortured until they slowly die. The possibilities of what could end up happening as a result of being unable to leave New York makes Bayley so anxious that her stomach begins to hurt. She couldn't even begin to imagine how badly her friends could snap if they were left to rot for that long. They'd become nothing. She'd especially hate to see what could become of Finn, one of her very best friends, if his Demon were to become affected by the torture, too.

It's a painful thought.

Elias can tell, as he pulls Bayley into his body again. "But we don't have to think like that right now," he says. "All will end well - they're very smart. Let's just enjoy the beautiful day. Find somewhere nice to settle down for the night, eat something. Just relax."

Finally, Bayley smiles, wrapping an arm around Elias' waist in return. "I like that idea."

* * *

The rest of their waking hours is soothing. Once they find a place that's off the trail, but still cleared enough to pitch a tent, they put together a campsite to stay at for the night. Elias builds a fire, and the two of them eat from their supply of beef jerky and dried fruit. They've brought plenty, so they can eat as much as they need to feel replenished. Since it took a lot of walking to get to this spot, Elias and Bayley take a nice break. They sit in the quiet of nature, occasionally talking, though, Elias plays a few riffs that come to mind and put them both in a zenful mood.

Bayley could get used to this. A few more days or weeks in the woods like this wouldn't be a bad thing at all.

When the night falls, Elias figured he'd let Bayley sleep in the tent on her own tonight, just to make sure she's comfortable, considering she's never been camping in a tent before, and it's much different than sleeping in a bed. While she's unsure about it, Bayley accepts.

"You'll be right outside, right?" she asks.

Elias nods. "Yep. I've got my blanket, I'll spread it out right between the fire and the tent," he says. "I won't be far, and I won't be going anywhere. If you need me, you can just come out and I'll be right there."

Bayley sighs out in relief, feeling a lot safer knowing that Elias will still be at their campsite the whole night. "Alright. Thanks, Elias."

With that, Bayley crawls into her tent, snuggling up in her sleeping bag, and trying to fall asleep.

She's so warm and snug, safe from the wind that she's drifting off to sleep within ten minutes of going to bed. But something gets her to wake up sharply all over again. The thoughts of what Elias was talking about earlier... They all come back to haunt her, as if they're evil spirits of the forest.

Her mind spins as she realizes she would never know what to do if the others couldn't get out of the city because someone's keeping them rounded up like a bunch of cattle. If that's the case, then if they do end up making it out, then there's always the possibility that one of the officers could see them, and follow them out. Then what are they supposed to do? They'll always have someone out on their tail, and the chances of them getting caught and brought back into the city are really high.

Dammit, the punishment would be brutal if they get caught. Stephanie would put them in the deepest depths of the basement. Never let them see the light of day again. Chain them to a wall.

Make them beg for death.

For hours, Bayley lies awake in her sleeping bag, staring up at the ceiling of the tent. Everything around her feels suffocating; the tent is hot - too hot, almost - and she can feel her own breath against the walls. Her sleeping bag is squeezing her too tight; if she needed to make a quick escape, she wouldn't be able to squirm out in time. The calm sounds of the night sound no longer lull her to sleep like they where before. Now they're just plain intimidating; every rustle in the leaves and hoot of an owl makes her jump. The sound of the wind blowing through the tree branches sounds haunting.

All at once, Bayley can't help but feel like she's being watched.

Maybe a few officers are following her and Elias...

Panicking herself, Bayley gasps, sitting up sharply. "Elias?" she calls out frantically. "E-Elias?"

Outside, there's the sound of someone shuffling against the dirt, and in less than a minute, the tent unzips, and Bayley's within the comfort of Elias' presence.

"Hm? Everything okay?" he asks. He doesn't sound the least bit tired, and he doesn't look it, either. Perhaps he was having some trouble sleeping as well.

Bayley sighs out softly in relief. "Oh thank God. You're okay," she whispers. "Y-you're still here..."

Elias grins gently. "Well, of course I am. Told you I wouldn't go far," he says. "Are you alright, Bayley? You look as though you've seen a ghost."

She breathes out with a grin, running her hand through her ponytail, slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, I'm fine, mostly," she says. "I just got scared all of a sudden." She pauses, the look of a deer in headlights coming back to her eyes. "Um... There's no officers out there watching us, are there? You... Didn't see anyone, did you?"

Elias looks at her, concerned. "No one at all. Just you, and me, and the harmless creatures of the night," he says.

Bayley nods, swallowing her panic attack. "Good," she says. "I was on the brink of sleeping and I woke up suddenly because I started worrying. Now I'm scared out of my mind." She looks up into Elias' eyes with remorse filling up the big, brown orbs. "I hope I didn't wake you up or anything."

Elias shakes his head. "Nothing to worry about. I haven't been able to sleep a wink since we left the city," he admits. "On the shuttles, it's because I was watching my back. Now it's because it's the first time I've had peace in a long time. I want to enjoy it while I can."

Shyly, Bayley looks back down at her hands rested in her lap, unsure of how to ask Elias. But then she looks back up, and asks. "I know this probably sounds weird, but do you think you can stay with me until I fall asleep?" she asks. "I'm kind of scared to be alone."

Elias nods. "Certainly," he says. "I'll be right here the whole time."

With a smile, Bayley climbs back into her sleeping back. "Thank you, Elias," she whispers.

As Bayley gets all snuggled back into her sleeping bag, she feels that cozy, comforted sensation coming back over her. The sounds of those night critters wandering around the woods no longer sound dangerous. Once again, the wind is nothing more than a soothing breeze.

Before she knows it, she's sleeping peacefully. The most peaceful slumber she's been in since before the whole mess with Stephanie got started in New York.

As promised, Elias stays right by Bayley, and make sure she's sleeping alright. Keeps a watch outside the tent, makes sure that her worries stay far away. Even after she's asleep, he doesn't move an inch; he keeps a close eye on her, just in case. All the while, he keeps a comforting, protective hand over her shoulder to let her know he's right here in case she wakes up.

Finally, within a couple more hours, watching Bayley sleep so calmly starts to get to Elias. He yawns, and his eyelids start to droop. Leaving his blanket outside and wanting to stay by Bayley's side to keep her company, he leans against the wall of the tent, and falls fast asleep himself.


	5. Chapter 5: The Run For the Hills

Chapter 5: The Run For the Hills

They've been gone long enough.

It's time. It's definitely time.

The sun's setting, painting the skies of New York a soulful mixture of lavender and orange. Finn Bálor, Sasha Banks, Alexa Bliss, Ember Moon and Braun Strowman are standing at the exit of the bomb shelter, in front of The Shield. The trio is helping them get ready for their great escape.

"'Right. You know where the shuttle is?" Rollins confirms with them.

Sasha nods. "Yep. Edge of the city. They'll leave as soon as we get there," she says. "We looked for the one that specifically busses runners."

"Good. Exactly what you need," Rollins says. "If you can make it there, you'll be fine."

A solemn look comes upon Reigns' face. "Just keep in mind that the guards have been upped," he reminds them. "They're looking to catch us wandering out during the day, which hasn't been easy for them, considering all the civilians. But they're also meant to keep all the superstars in. Discourage them from leaving the city, and drag those who do leave back in."

Ember slowly shakes her head, seemingly a little worried. "Sucks that they knew we had to be going out during the day when they couldn't find us at night," she mutters, digging the toe of her boot into the floor and twisting it, like she's stamping out a cigarette. "Gonna make getting the hell out of here a lot harder for us... They're probably guarding the gates like hell."

Bálor sighs, running his fingers through his hair in thought. "I suppose once we're out that we'll be okay, won't we?" the Irishman asks. "There's no way they'd be able to follow us out. Stephanie has a lot of officers out there, but she can't afford to send too many out just for the sake of looking for us."

Reigns nods, a more hopeful look highlighting his sharp features. "That's where the good news comes in," he says. "All you guys have to do is make it out of New York. If you can do that, then you're safe. The guards won't follow you out - as far as Shane knows, they have strict orders to watch all corners of the city like hawks, and they can't follow the orders if they leave."

Alexa rolls her eyes. "Thank _God,"_ she huffs. "Last thing we need is to be chased out of here. It's already bad enough that Stephanie chose the _prime time_ to start watching every single move that every single person makes. Soon as I'm out of this hellhole, I'm not coming back to it; they'll have to drag me by my hair if they want me back."

Strowman grunts, placing a big hand on Lexi's shoulder, and forcefully pulling her into his side. She's shocked by the sudden movement, but softens within seconds, and smiles deviously up at him. "'Sides. It'd be their mistake if they were to come after us," he mutters. "Bunch of highly trained fighters against the puniest guards Stephanie could muster together. Makes me wonder how many of 'em are actually trained. I could smash 'em all to bits."

Eyes lighting up like stars, Lexi laughs. "You said it, big guy," she says, nudging against him. "They're picking the most aggressive team to screw around with. _Big_ mistake, amiright?"

With a soft chuckle, Ambrose smirks in Bálor's direction. "And this is for your friend, there, Bálor," he says. "Figured you could use something to keep him at bay when things get rough." He holds up a red and black rectangle, shaking it to let Bálor know he's going to toss it.

Of course, Bálor catches it, and looks it over. Turns out it's a bar of chili chocolate: the Demon's favorite. Happy with the thoughtful gift, Bálor chuckles. "Wow, thanks you guys," he says. "That's awesome!"

"Think nothing of it, man," Rollins grins with a wink. "Always happy to help out. We respect your friend, there."

Just then, Bálor's right eye clouds up until it's completely black, gleaming like obsidian... The Demon's watching. When the dark spirit sees the chili chocolate, a warm, tingly feeling fills up Bálor's insides, starting from his chest, and streaming out until the tips of his fingers. It's the sensation he gets when the Demon's happy.

When Bálor's eye returns to its normal, ice blue color and the Demon's gone back to sleep, he grins at The Shield. "He says thank you, too," he interprets for them.

Reigns laughs, grabbing Bálor by the good shoulder and roughing up his hair. "Hey, no problem there, buddy," he says to the Demon, even though he knows he can't hear him at the moment. "We knew how much you love that stuff. Sweet 'n' spicy."

Rollins clears his throat. "Alright. There'll be enough people out to hide among, but not enough to know where you went if they're asked. Stephanie's men won't be out for the next few hours, anyways. Not until it gets dark," he says. "It's the prime time to get out of here, if you leave now."

Ember nods. "We will. We're ready," she says. "Even if we do see them, we'll be out of here nice and safe."

"Good," Ambrose says. "Go get 'em, Wolf Pack."

With that, the group by the name of the Wolf Pack heads out into the city, towards their escape.

Of course, everyone puts their hoods up. Since they don't have masks like The Shield does, their hoods are bigger than usual, much like a cowl, so they can cover up their faces. Since it's already sketchy that they're trying to hide their faces, and they're wearing the colors of a gang, they have to move fast. They work themselves into a brisk walk, since it'd still look odd if they were running.

There are a lot of aspects that need to be taken into account when they're on the road. They have to make sure no one's watching them too closely, and that the people who are out on the streets have absolutely no clothing that could be considered a uniform worn by Stephanie's men.

So far, everything looks safe.

"I can't see," Lexi mutters. "My hood's over my eyes."

Strowman places his hands on her shoulders to guide her. "This way," he says, his voice low. "Just remember the material on the ground."

"Oh, right. We're going for a dirt path," she says. "We're still on pavement... Oh my _God,_ is that blood?"

Bálor grunts. "Probably," he says. "Who the hell knows what they've been doing to civilians?"

"You hear?" Ember says to the Wolf Pack. "One of the officers brought back a girl that they thought was Bayley. It wasn't... It was just some random teenage girl. Couldn't have been much older than high school age." She crosses her arms and scuffs her orange boot against the ground. "She tried to tell them she wasn't Bayley. She wasn't even sure who _Bayley_ was. But Stephanie and Paul wouldn't take it. They completely destroyed this girl. Scalped her... Broke her arms, then her legs, then all her ribs. And they left her there for three hours until she was dead."

Lexi looks up at everyone around her, eyes holding that sad, scared pain. "That's awful... That's really awful," she whispers. "And she was just a girl, too, with a life ahead of her. This city's going straight to hell."

Sasha nods slowly, magenta hair falling out of her hood and over her shoulders. "I can only hope that means they think they've really killed Bayley. That's the only good thing that could ever come out of that. Last thing I want is someone tromping through the woods after her and Elias." She wraps her arms around herself and shudders. "Now I'm freaked out. Finn, does the Demon have eyes?"

Inside of him, the Demon knows he has a job, and that's to keep his vessel and his friends safe. He perks right up, and while he doesn't have control over Finn's body, he still has his senses sharp, ready to take over if something goes wrong.

"Yep," Bálor reassures them. "He's awake. He'll let us know if he thinks someone's watching. He's good at that."

Thankfully for them, the majority of the walk over to the shuttle stop is safe. No one around except for people minding their own business, just trying to get home before dark, when things will start going to shit and no one's safe. Nobody that wants to cause the Wolf Pack any trouble, at least not yet.

It's when they get to the stop that things start going downhill.

For some reason, there's someone waiting there for them at the bus stop.

But no civilians know about the stop... It's one of the secret shuttles that they have running to get the superstars out of the state when they're ready to leave. So how could a civilian know that the shuttle even exists, let alone know they're supposed to wait here for the shuttle to come pick them up.

The Demon knows there's something fishy about it, too. Bálor hears a voice echoing in the back of his mind... _I don't feel good about this, Bálor,_ the Demon growls.

Bálor holds out his arms to tell the rest of the Wolf Pack to stop walking... There's something that doesn't feel right about this.

Immediately, they get the message. They know that this doesn't seem right, and they slow down.

"Who is that?" Lexi whispers, though, barely anyone can hear her voice.

The person sitting at the stop finally realizes they're being watched from afar, and they turn to look at the Wolf Pack. It's a guy, they can tell by the face and figure that it's a guy. He's got blonde hair. When he sees them, he sits forward more, smiles the utmost friendly smile, and waves at them.

But still, no one can make out who it is.

"Is that Mike Mizanin?" Ember asks.

"That would make sense, wouldn't it?" Lexi points out. "Maybe he's trying to leave here with Maryse. This place isn't safe for a baby, no doubt they'd want to get out of here."

Strowman shakes his head. "No," he says. "No one's seen Miz since this whole thing started. He's not even in the bomb shelter."

Bálor looks at them, warning in his eyes. "Wait here," he says. "I'm gonna let the Demon sniff things out."

The Wolf Pack nods, agreeing to stay put. Strowman stands in front of the girls, ready to put up a fight if this guy gets past Bálor and tries to charge them.

Slowly, Bálor paces over to this shady figure, and stares him down. As expected, they don't know who this is. He looks like any normal civilian. But he's still smiling, as if he knows Bálor and the others.

Even still, Bálor doesn't say a word. He lets this guy explain himself.

The guy just stares at him, eyes bearing holes into his living soul, and it's really starting to weird Bálor out. Finally, he speaks.

"Hey, Bálor," he says.

Bálor knits his eyebrows, taking a few steps back. He even feels as the Demon lurches inside of him.

The man just chuckles. "What's the matter?" he asks. "I'm just checking up on all of ya. You shocked that I know who you are?" He shrugs. "It's part of my job, knowing who you are. And I knew that you'd be here. Stephanie and Paul said you'd show up here. I see they've made no mistake."

Bálor doesn't move any further back, but holds out his arms once again to tell the others that there's trouble.

"So, now that you're finally here, you can answer me this," the man says, standing up so that his eyes meet Bálor's perfectly. He glowers down at him, finally showing aggression. "Where do you and your team think you're going?"

 _Get him, Bálor,_ the Demon demands.

Bálor listens to that instinct.

"Attack!" he yells over his shoulder at the others.

As soon as he says it, Bálor runs for the guy. But he doesn't get the chance to attack, as the man clotheslines him, and slams him onto the ground.

Dizzy and wind knocked out of him, Bálor struggles to sit back up. "Braun, smash!" he cries out before collapsing back down.

Strowman gets the message. He runs forward as the man gets ready to attack him, and the girls bend their legs, fists out and ready to fight when the time comes. It's surprising the man thought he had a chance against Strowman... The second Strowman's fist collides with the man's stomach, he's down on the ground, barely able to move.

The girls go running for him, and they give him a piece of their mind, throwing punches, kicking him in the sides and the chest. He's helpless the whole time, unable to escape their attacks.

 _Lemme at him, Bálor,_ the Demon purrs haughtily.

Sitting up after fully recovering, Bálor takes a deep breath. _Go get him, boy,_ he tells him.

Bálor holds out his left hand, palm-up. Closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing, he lets the Demon lace his fingers with his own. There's a heat that takes over Bálor's body, and he falls back, letting the Demon take control over him.

The Demon pounces off the ground, landing on all fours, and clawing his way towards the man. The girls back up, letting him do what he wants. Bearing his teeth, the Demon raises his claws, and rakes them against the man's throat. Coughing up blood and sputtering, the man is left alive and suffering.

The Demon gets down in his face, snarling and gnashing his teeth. " _Nemo mihi dolet orci,"_ he hisses. Leaning down, he sinks his fangs into the man's neck, and sucks a small amount of blood. To Bálor, it tastes salty and gross and is such an unnatural flavor, but to the Demon, it's delicious, and it gives him energy. " _Nemo. Interficiam te."_

The man remains splain out on the ground hyperventilating and shaking, awaiting the Demon's next blows. For a good minute, the Demon does nothing but growl and bear his teeth, but when the aggressive anger comes back, he gives the man a bunch of slashes across the face with his claws. By the time he's done, the man is barely recognizable.

Seeing as they've done the damage they need and slowed this guy down enough, Strowman grabs the Demon by the collar of the sweatshirt and pulls him off of the man. "Alright, boy. You've done your job. That's enough," he says, ruffling his hair. "Good boy."

The Demon stands, breathing heavily and obeying Strowman's grasp, trying to regain himself.

Sasha smiles deviously in the Demon's direction. "What do you say, boy?" she purrs. "We ending him?"

Wordlessly, the Demon shakes his head, still glaring down at his victim.

"Good choice," Lexi says, giving the man a dirty look of her own. "Let him see what it's like to be a victim of Stephanie and Paul."

 _Good boy,_ Bálor praises the Demon. _Return to me now... Come on back. You've done good._

With that, the Demon lets out a soft noise that's an odd mixture between a growl and a purr, closing his eyes. As he allows Bálor to once again have control over his own body, Bálor's temperature lowers, and his eyes return to normal. The sudden transition is a shock, especially because the bitter taste of blood still lingers in his mouth.

Wincing, Bálor turns to Ember. "I'm gonna need to borrow some of that water once the shuttle shows up," he says, turning and spitting on the ground.

Ember nods lightly. "Mmhm. Of course you can," she says.

Much to their luck, they see the bus beginning to pull up in the distance. Without a word, they all look to each other, and begin to run for it, knowing that they've got to get out of here as soon as they can. They have no idea if someone watched them wound that collaborator of Stephanie's, and they don't want to stick around to find out.

As the collaborator is left in the dust, he drags himself across the dirt like a zombie risen from the dead, moaning and crying out. "Stephanie... Stephanie will find out about this!" he bleats. "S-S... Someone's gonna come after you... And they're gonna kill you! You're gonna be nothing but a pile of guts when she catches up to you!"

But the Wolf Pack ignores them. They're on their way out of New York. No way is Stephanie going to follow them out of here.


	6. Chapter 6: Out For Blood

Chapter 6: Out For Blood

When Stephanie found out about the Wolf Pack's escape, she was livid.

Blinding with rage.

She isn't even sure who she's more mad at: the Wolf Pack, for being able to outsmart her and the men she sent after them, or the civilian collaborator for letting them get by him.

Either way, he was only just a civilian, and therefore, replaceable. When her officers found him, completely mutilated by the Demon and barely alive, she had no problem throwing his body into the incinerator. The only inconvenience to her is that she'd have to find another civilian collaborator.

But as of right now, that's the least of her concerns.

Rather, she's focused all her attention on the fact the Wolf Pack successfully made it out of New York.

How the hell is she supposed to get them back? She can't leave the city unsupervised, and neither can her officers. Ideally, she could send Paul to chase after them, but he's one of the key torturers that she needs to rule by her side when they successfully capture any of the superstars they're after.

But as always, an idea comes to her.

There is someone wandering around the city that Stephanie watches carefully. Just from observation, she knows that if it was allowed, this individual would kill to make it to the top in the WWE.

Well, she's getting her wish. She can do whatever she wants to get to the top. Maybe become one of Stephanie's Most Beloved.

* * *

In the light of the afternoon, when no one would be paying attention, Stephanie sends out her officers to briefly stalk this girl. She gave them very specific instructions to bring her back unharmed. To not even knock her out when they catch her. Just tie her up - lightly - resist her struggles, and bring her safely to Stephanie without getting caught.

They do just that. At approximately four in the evening, her three officers that was sent to grab this girl are carrying a very large, very loose burlap sack, that provides enough room to breathe and move. They struggle as the girl in the sack screams, and squirms, and fights to break her way free.

Aggravated after having to carry her the whole way to the palace in this state, one of the guards, Abraham, drops her carelessly to the ground and kicks her in the side. She yelps in shock. "Shut up, will you?" he growls.

Stephanie glares at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Abraham, did I not give you strict instructions to not hurt her?" she says firmly.

Abraham fixes his posture, standing up straight. "Right. Sorry, Mrs. McMahon, ma'am," he says.

Stephanie breathes out tensely, dropping her arms. "Let her out," she demands of them.

They do as she says, opening the bag and pulling it off of their kidnap victim.

Sitting on the floor is a disheveled pile is a very pale girl with black hair, half of her head shaved. She has extremely pissed-off sapphire eyes, and her black lips are pouted. She wears a red crop top, black pants, black boots.

Ruby Riott.

Stephanie smiles proudly, even as Ruby looks at her with death in her eyes. "Hello there, Ruby," she greets her. "I'm very glad to see you."

Ruby doesn't move. "What am I doing here?" she asks.

Stephanie begins to pace the room, still smiling. "Ahh, what _are_ you doing here?" she sighs in thought. "Well, I don't suppose you'd believe me if I told you that you have a _lot_ of value to me?"

Ruby still says nothing, waiting for Stephanie to continue.

Stephanie shakes the ponytail off her shoulder, never ending her pacing cycle. "Listen here to me, Ruby Riott," she purrs. "I watch you on Monday Night RAW. All the time. And I admire you, more than you know. You have a lot of potential... In fact, I think you could rule WWE. I can tell that you have a vicious intent, and I like that."

Interested now, Ruby raises her eyebrows. "Really?" she questions. Her voice isn't the lighthearted sort of tone, in fact, it's a bit hard. But Stephanie can tell that she really is beginning to believe her side of things.

"Of course," Stephanie says. "Now, I can do you a few favors, if you do something for me. One big errand, and I can give you things that everyone in this city can only dream of having."

A light of greed coming into Ruby's eyes, she shrugs. "Sure," she agrees.

Stephanie smirks. "Well. The first thing I'm going to give to you right off the bat is the ability to come and go from New York, as you please. My officers will leave you alone at all times as you travel," she says. "And while you're out of the city, you have a very important job: kill some superstars for me.

"I'm not sure if you had _any_ idea, but a significant amount of RAW Superstars escaped yesterday evening: Alexa Bliss, Braun Strowman, Finn Bálor, Ember Moon, and Sasha Banks. Your job, for me, is to hunt every single one of them down, and kill them. It won't be hard to kill four of them; they're perfectly human, and a quick stab to the gut should end them. Bálor's the one I'm most worried about. Even when his soul is gone from his body, the Demon remains. I want the Demon gone, too. As much as my father loved that Demon of Bálor's, I've always despised the creature. Send him back to Hell, where he belongs." Stephanie smiles evilly towards Ruby. "If you can do that for me, you can have everything. You will be crowned royalty of the McMahon-HHH Palace, and therefore, untouchable."

Finally, the most sickening, most evil grin comes to Ruby's face, and it fills Stephanie with the greatest of excitements.

 _Having it all. Royalty to the McMahon-HHH Palace. Everyone would finally be bowing down to the Riott Squad, and fearing me if they don't. It's what I've always wanted from the WWE Universe._

To Ruby, it's a no-brainer.

"Of course," she purrs to Stephanie, getting onto one knee, and bowing to her.


	7. Chapter 7: The A-Lister

Chapter 7: The A-Lister

This is the life.

Mike "The Miz" Mizanin is sitting out on his patio by the pool in his blue swimsuit, basking in the sun and catching up on his tan. His wife Maryse sits in one of the lounge chairs, enjoying the heat herself in her white bikini with the cherry patterns as she holds their daughter, Monroe Skye in her arms. It's the most perfect day.

But it isn't just today or this moment that's "the life" for Miz.

"The life" is living the life of an A-Lister.

Rather than hiding out in the bomb shelter twenty-four-seven, Miz has stayed at his house in New York, with his family. Rather than staying cooped up, watching and waiting for the right moment to step out and get some fresh air, he's chilling by the pool, going out whenever he so pleases. And rather than only ever going out during the day to buy necessities for surviving this genocide, Maryse goes out shopping all day, every day, and buys whatever she wants.

But why?

It's simple.

They're A-Listers, unlike the rest of the superstars in the WWE. It isn't just an attitude Miz flaunts around in the ring. It's his way of life. It's who he is, who he was brought up to be. And he's gonna live that way.

Maybe the B-Listers are scared. Maybe they feel the need to hide from Stephanie.

But Miz isn't scared. He has no reason to be scared.

It's mostly because he doesn't fear Stephanie's going to come after him and his family; she knows that he gets violent when his family is threatened, and that, in turn, should make her pretty scared. But even if she does, he has the skills to fight back. And he'll fight back hard. He's strong enough to fight anyone or anything Stephanie throws his way, and he smart enough to know if and when they're coming for his home.

See? Nothing to be afraid of.

Now, Miz stares up at the blue sky, dotted with the occasional puff of a fluffy, white cloud floating by. A warm breeze blows through his hair as. It's very calming. If only every day could be this perfect for just sitting out and enjoying the gentle sun. The others are really missing out. It must seriously suck being pent up in that bomb shelter, where it's always cold, and out of the sun.

There must never be fresh air in there, either. Miz can only imagine how dusty and stuffy and sweaty it gets in those tiny, little rooms. The thought makes him nauseous. And the beds... Goddamn, he's so used to sleeping on a soft, body-conforming mattress with warm blankets that keep out the cold. The beds in the shelter must be like sleeping on a springboard, and trying to cover yourself with a long sheet of paper towels. If Miz were there, he'd be unable to live with himself; he'd be in such bodily pain in the morning that he wouldn't even mind if Stephanie killed him! They must be losing their minds having to live in such a cramped, uncomfortable space!

Miz can't help but wonder, how are they doing it?

But he shakes it all off, and smiles to himself. He doesn't need to think like that. While they're "playing it safe" and hiding themselves away from the beauty of the world, Miz is playing cool, sticking to comfort. Not worrying about anything when, really, there's nothing to be worrying about.

In the midst of his sunbathing, Miz can tell that Maryse is watching him. But he pretends not to notice, though, it's hard to keep up that act when she giggles, and that cute little sound makes him grin.

"You look hot, babe," she gushes. "'Specially with the sun beating down on you like that. You could be a swimsuit model."

Finally, Miz sets his sunglasses on top of his head, looking over at Maryse, and giving her his signature smirk. "Well, well. Thank you. You're looking extra beautiful this afternoon yourself," he purrs.

Maryse giggles again, blushing deeply. Even to this day, she melts when Miz tells her how pretty she is.

"How are you enjoying yourself out here?" Miz asks her.

Maryse sighs, leaning back in her chair and resting Monroe Skye against her chest. "It's perfect out here. I'm so glad we chose to stay here... It almost feels safer, being in our own home like this." Just then, she sits up sharply. "Y'know... I wasn't sure about it at first. I didn't think it would be. But you were right. It's so much more comfortable here... So private. A _much_ better place to take care of kids, too. Don't you think?" She smiles down at Monroe Skye, and bounces her softly in her lap to give her some soothing motions.

Miz chuckles, reaching over and pinching Monroe Skye's cheek, making her laugh at her Daddy. "So much better. I don't know why Daniel Bryan thought it'd be smart to keep four kids down there," he mutters. "They're wild. I promise you, they will end up killing each other one day."

Maryse laughs. "You got that right. Not our sweet Monroe Skye," she says. "She's gonna grow up to be the perfect lady. Won't you?" She peers down at their daughter, and gives her a kiss on the cheek. "Being brought up in a house, like a little lady. You wouldn't survive in that bomb shelter with those rowdy boys, would you?"

Sighing happily, Miz pushes the sunglasses back down over the bridge of his nose, and leans back in his chair. "I love it, babe," he says. "Being with you, living a normal life. Why stay hidden when there's nothing to be hiding from?"

Lying back as well, Maryse sighs. "Who needs to be safe in numbers, anyways?

I've got you to protect me," she purrs. "That's all I could ask for, tough guy."

The happy couple grins warmly to each other, and they know they've got it good.

Miz never thought that having the life of an A-Lister could one day save the life of both himself, and his family. Who would have thought?

He's the real rockstar in the WWE. That's why the others are hiding, and he's out by the pool with his wife and his daughter, at his own house.

Miz is untouchable, and no one can deny it.


	8. Chapter 8: Absolutely

Chapter 8: Absolutely

It's been so long.

Of course having to live in a cramped apartment with no windows, and only being able to even step foot outside at certain periods "when it's safe" makes the days seem like years. But it doesn't make it easier that a very special friend of hers is _Jesus Christ our lord and savior_ _only knows where_ at this point in time.

Oh well. If no one's had any signs of him and his family for this long, then that means he's safe. And that's all she could ask for.

Besides, Paige is safe with her ladies. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville.

Knowing that her two girls are safe and okay is one of the only things that keeps Paige sane nowadays, considering sometimes, it can be hard to tell who's okay and who isn't. They stick together, and they take care of each other. Nothing can tear Absolution apart... .They're just like the Shield. As long as she has them, Paige is invincible.

Though, there is one piece of her heart that's missing.

Matt Hardy.

A while back, before New York came under McMahon invasion, Paige and Matt Hardy bonded over black magic. Secretly, they always had an interest in it, and practiced it in their free time. It was always harmless little spells. Maybe make their opponent so confused they didn't know where they were in the middle of a match that didn't mean much in the end. Create a wall of invisible glass in the locker rooms and laugh as everyone was confused as to why they were walking into something that wasn't there.

All the tricks they know, Matt and Paige learned from each other.

On nights after the shows, Matt would create cat claws for himself, and climb up the hotel walls to get to Paige's room at night, when Absolution and the rest of the Wyatt Family was asleep. Though, it was oftentimes difficult because Wyatt Family is practically nocturnal, Matt would always make his best efforts to visit Paige in her hotel room. As soon as she heard gentle kitten claws on the glass, she'd smile, and know she had company.

For hours, Matt would sit on the windowsill Paige kneeling beneath him, and they'd talk. They'd talk about the matches they had, and the ones their friends had. They'd exchange magic, and show off the ones they had been perfecting they learned before then, too. No one knew it for so long, but they had a lot more in common than it appeared.

It didn't take long before Paige realized she had some romantic feelings for Matt. And it was clear that Matt felt the same; she was the only girl he got flustered around, that tan face of his turning pink, and he spoke with such a soft voice that's very different from that loud performing he uses in the ring. He's got a handsome face, mysterious dark eyes, and that certain charm that Paige loves. She knows when he's teasing her; when he brushes her long, jet black hair behind her ear, brushes her hand with his fingertips, smiles a soft smile while gazing into her eyes with his puppy ones.

He knows exactly what he's doing. Sometimes, it makes Paige want to either smack the dumbass, or kiss the angel.

But alas, as soon as Stephanie made the threats that she did, Matt Hardy fled New York before the hunts even had a chance to start. Within a few days of the news bulletins made by Stephanie herself, Matt was gone with his younger brother, Jeff and the rest of the Wyatt Family. As much as she's heartbroken and slightly angered by Bray Wyatt's decision to scoot, she knows he made the right decision. Bray is, in fact, a smart man. He knew right away what was best for his team, and he got them out of there. In the end, Paige knows she'll be thanking him for it. One of these days, she'll be sitting out on a tree branch in the forest with Matt, talking magic, flirting. Maybe kissing. Who knows? Maybe Mandy and Sonya will find something special in Jeff, or Erik and Rowan, maybe even Wyatt himself.

Until then, there's one way Paige can still talk to Matt, even though they're miles apart now.

Tonight, Paige sits in the apartment she shares with the rest of Absolution. It's a quiet night, one where everyone can just sit back for the night, maybe catch a couple of hours of sleep at the very least. Sonya lies across her bed on her stomach, flipping through a couple of Sports Illustrated issues she stole from a very crowded convenience store during the day. Mandy perches on her desk, painting her nails with golden nail polish, which Sonya also snagged from the store. Somehow, the soft, gentle feeling of the brush and the concentration required to do it is soothing to her.

While they're doing that, Paige grabs a relic from her desk: a thin, gold necklace chain with an amulet hanging delicately from it. It's a four-point star shape, no bigger than a berry, and like the chain, it's gold in color and has swirly etchings around the edges. In the center rests a perfectly rounded amethyst, surface cool and smooth.

Paige clips the necklace around her bed, and makes her way over to her bed. Comfortably, she lies down on her back, legs out straight. With both hands, she clutches the amulet in her palm, and as she lightly closes her eyes. In her mind, she focuses on one spell, mouthing it silently over and over to herself...

" _Matthew Hardy... Portami da lui... Matthew Hardy... Portami da lui..."_

Within about thirty seconds of Paige repeating the spell to herself, the amethyst begins to pulse softly under her palm, and the black behind her eyelids turns to a periwinkle mist. Her heart races, and her senses heighten as her whole being feels like she's been dropped on one of Saturn's rings, and now she's there for the cosmic ride.

Slowly, but surely, Paige feels everything begin to slow down, and the mist begins to subside. When she can see clearly again, she finds herself sitting at the peak of a mountain in the midst of a deciduous forest. Though it's all purely in her head, it feels as though she's really there. She can feel the rush of the cool breeze against her face, and it blows back her hair, and she's so high up on the mountain that it's like she can touch the cloudy sky above her.

Her limbs and her neck are still a bit tingly and numb as she comes to, but once she's able to move, she rolls her neck, wiggles her fingers, and stretches out her feet inside of her boots. Slowly, she turns her head to the left, and there he sits, smiling that all-knowing smile of his.

Matt Hardy.

Paige can't help but smile. "You came," she says. "I knew you would."

That gets a chuckle out of Matt. "When don't I? I'd never pass up on a chance to see you," he says. "Glad to see you, Paige, my lady."

She sighs softly, that smile of hers unwilling to leave her face. "Yeah, me too. It's been so long. I get worried sometimes," she says.

"Never you mind that, my lady," Matt purrs, scooting himself across the rock they're sitting on to be little closer to her. "It's my job to worry over you. I don't want anyone over there causing you problems. Then they might have to answer to me." Smirking, Matt Hardy holds up his left hand and snaps his fingers, a tiny, indigo flame appearing between them.

Paige just giggles under her breath, averting her eyes shyly as a blush highlights her pale face.

"Speaking of which," Matt continues. "How are things over there? Are you staying safe?"

Paige nods. "Very safe," she reassures him. "We only go out when we know it's safe, and we come back at night. The night kind of scares me sometimes, even when we are hidden away. I worry that her men will come back and find us again." She sighs, shaking her head. "It's hard, but we're getting by."

Solemnly, Matt nods in agreement. "I know things are rough, and they can get pretty scary sometimes. especially in your place. Shield's gonna take good care of you," he reassures Paige. "And one day, it'll be all over, and everyone will be reunited in safety."

Paige finally looks back up, and her smile returns. "Yeah. You're right," she says. "It'll come... It'll come soon."

Matt grins. "How are your ladies?" he asks.

"Good... They're good," Paige says, thankful for the distraction from the sad things of life. "Definitely bored. Sonya nearly went on a shopping spree of _free_ things at one of the convenience stores today. Magazines, nail polish, hair and face products. You name it, she put it in her bag. Funny thing is, it wasn't even discreet, yet no one noticed because it was so busy. She was just pulling things off the shelf and putting them in her bag."

Matt laughs, that amused sparkle coming to his dark eyes. "Who can blame her? What else is there to do when you can't go out and party 'till the crack of dawn?" he says. "If there's a good time to practice a new hairstyle or whatever you girls are into, I'm pretty sure that time is now."

"Might as well turn the room into a spa. That'll keep the ladies happy. I know I don't mind much," Paige giggles, looking down at the purple manicure Mandy gave her last night. She pauses, brushing the black hair behind her ears to keep the wind from blowing it into her face. "How about the Family? Are they doing well?"

Matt nods. "Quite well. They're enjoying the cabin we inhabited. I mean, they are the Wyatt Family, after all. They lived in the woods forever until Orton dragged them out," he says. "Jeff's indifferent, though. I'm sure he'd rather be at the beach, my baby brother. He accepts it, though - better than what New York's turned into." Just then, his eyes light up with excitement. "Ah! Luke Harper had his baby a couple of weeks ago!"

Paige can't help but smile. "Did he really?" she coos. "How did that go? Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Bray tells me he did a wonderful job," Matt says. "He was brave and strong the whole time. And he gave birth to such a beautiful little girl. She's the cutest little thing. Looks just like him."

Paige knows her eyes are sparkling, and the thought of soft-spoken Harper having such a gorgeous baby girl to take care of makes her melt. "Aww... I bet she's just precious. I hope I can meet her soon, while she's still tiny. 'Cause one day, she's gonna grow up to be a strong little lady, just like Harper," she whispers. Though, even though the thought makes her swoon, Paige can't help but shake her head at Matt. "I still can't believe you did that to poor Harper."

Matt smirks, shrugging simply. "What can I say? He was causing shenanigans with Jeff and knocked him out. I couldn't let him get away with it - no one messes with Jeff and gets away with it," he says. "Besides. I didn't anticipate him having to tromp through the woods pregnant to get away from a complete psychopath."

A while back, Paige taught Matt a spell in which a touch to the stomach with the left hand blessed by said spell can impregnate a man. The only other way a male can become pregnant in this day and age is by a supernatural spirit, like how Kane and Bryan were able to have children, and Paige thought it was precious that male spellcasters could also have babies with their significant other. Of course, she taught the spell to Matt, and in exchange, he taught her how to give a human the symptoms of vampirism until the sun rises. Approximately six months ago, Harper got into a bit of a scuffle with Matt's younger brother, Jeff. Though it wasn't serious, Jeff got injured, and that made Matt upset. Of course, being the trickster he is, Matt thought he'd practice the spell Paige taught him on Harper to give him some payback. Harper was pregnant for six months, and recently gave birth to his baby girl, who he named Layla Berry. Naturally, the rough pregnancy and the daunting task of giving birth to her was worth every minute of it in the end; Harper loves Layla with all of his heart. She is his entire world, and she loves her father all the same.

Paige just laughs, rolling her eyes. "You're so rude, Matthew Moore," she scolds him. "No pregnant man should have to hike with a baby in his belly. _Especially_ at three out of six months."

Matt just laughs at that one.

Paige and Matt look up into each others eyes silently, and Paige feels that flourish again. That strong burst of affection that only makes her miss Matt even more. With a soft sigh, she reaches out to caress Matt's face. Though, right as she makes contact with the scruff on his face, her hand goes straight through him, much like he's nothing but a hologram. Seeing it makes her frown, and a deep longing fills up her chest, sitting there like a boulder.

The imagination is powerful. But unfortunately, that's all it is: her imagination.

Matt smiles sadly, and attempts to place a hand over hers, though, the same thing happens: his moves right through her, and it falls to the rock they're sitting on. "One day," he promises her. "We'll be together again one day. For real."

Paige grins, though, her eyes water. "Absolutely," she agrees.

* * *

Back in the bomb shelter, Rollins pops into Absolution's room during his rounds, just to make sure they're doing alright. Naturally, he finds Sonya reading her magazine, Mandy blowing gently on her nails to dry the paint she just put on them, and Paige lying in bed with her hands over her chest. They seem calm; nothing seems to be bothering them, which is a good sign.

"How are you, ladies?" Rollins asks with a gentlemanly smile.

Sonya places down her magazine briefly, returning the smile to Rollins. "It's good. Finally nice to have some peace and quiet," she says. She then purses her lips. "No one can just _go shopping_ anymore. The malls are way too crowded, and it's like a goddamn riot. People shoving, trampling others, beating each other up over clothes." She forcefully turns the page of her magazine. "Sucks ass, bro. Gotta do all of our shopping at Walgreens. Fashion, am I right?"

Mandy sighs. "It's like Black Friday all the time. I never thought I'd have to thrown down on another girl for trying to take the cute jeans I want. This city's a mess," she laments. Reaching down, she pulls the yellow ankle boot off her foot, then the orange one. "It's even worse because I can't go to a spa, either. They're always booked. My feet are killing me, having to walk absolutely everywhere... And I can't even get a pedicure to make it feel better." She gives Rollins her sparkly, gray puppy eyes, resting her chin on her knee.

Rollins laughs. "Well, you ladies are born to fight. If someone tries to fight you over clothes, I bet you can take them," he says. "We can arrange a safe time for you to get the shopping you want at the mall. The Shield and I can escort you."

Sonya sighs happily, collapsing down with relief. "That'd be a great time," she murmurs, joyful with the thought of finally getting to go shopping.

Rollins chuckles at her excitement, and looks over at Paige on the bed. He notices that she's not fully asleep; it looks like she's just resting her eyes. Every so often, her lips move, but her voice doesn't come out. When he sees the gold necklace chain around her neck, and the way his hands are placed, she realizes what she's doing.

He frowns.

"She really misses Hardy, doesn't she?" he says softly to the others.

Mandy nods, her bottom lip slightly puckering in sadness. "She really does," she whispers softly, as though Paige can hear her talking about her. "It's so sad. I hate that she found something special in him, only to have him ripped away so suddenly. It's not fair to her at all." Still frowning with her chin rested on her knee, Mandy opens the bottle of gold nail polish again, and begins to paint her toes.

Sonya shakes her head. "I never thought she'd be interested in Hardy," she says. "But she finds everything about him so endearing. It's cute, really. I've never seen a guy that made Paige so happy." She looks up at the waffle ceiling, a faraway look in her eyes. "Hopefully they'll be back together soon. She'd be absolutely happy to see him again. I love seeing her happy."

Rollins smiles, nodding gently. "Absolutely," he agrees, beginning to turn on his heel. "Well, you ladies make sure that she's okay and she's happy when she comes back to planet Earth. If she needs anything, you know where to come find me."

Finally, Mandy smiles her fashion model smile. "Thanks, Seth. Have a good night."


	9. Chapter 9: Vermont Woods

Chapter 9: Vermont Woods

No doubt they're all happy.

It's been almost four years since his Family has been able to live in a place that brings out their inner peace: a log cabin in the middle of the woods. There's a reminiscence of their beloved cabin that Orton burned down. It's like he never even did it.

After coming in from collecting wood for their fireplace, Wyatt finds everyone in such a peaceful place, even Jeff Hardy, who didn't seem so sure about living in a cabin for such a prolonged period of time at first. Matt Hardy lies down on one of the couches, perfectly still with his hands over his chest; Wyatt doesn't even need to ask the others to know that he's talking to Paige. Jeff and Rowan find themselves engrossed in a game of chess. Harper sits in the rocking chair at the corner of the room, his daughter, Layla Berry, snug in his arms. As he rocks the chair back and forth with the heel of his boot, he feeds Layla warmed milk from a bottle, singing a soft song to her that only she can hear.

Wyatt smiles. Just like the old days.

Placing the wood into the racks, Wyatt looks towards Rowan and Jeff. "Who's winning?" he asks.

Jeff curls his lip, still staring down at the board. "Rowan," he mutters.

Rowan chuckles evilly under his breath. "He doesn't share the chess skill with his brother," he says. "Feels good to be winning against a Hardy, for once."

Wyatt purses his lip. "I've never won a chess match against Matt, come to think of it," he says. "No one has."

Jeff places a hand on one of his Bishops, only to scowl and realize it's a bad idea as soon as he sees the sinister look on Rowan's face. He then tries a knight, but Rowan just laughs and shakes his head.

"Bad ideas, Brother Nero. Bad ideas all around," he purrs.

Leaving the two of them to their shenanigans, Wyatt tends to the fire, adding some of the fresh kindling to it. That smoky scent fills the room, and Wyatt breathes it in. It isn't too much, not too strong to remind him of when Orton burned the Wyatt compound. It's a soothing scent, like that of a small campfire with a gentle smoke wafting into the room. No strong smells of kerosene, just the natural burning of the wood.

Inwardly, Wyatt smiles. This was the best possible place to come to for protection from Stephanie. There's nowhere he'd rather escape to than the middle of fucking nowhere in Vermont.

He feels at home here. The woods is where he was brought up. Where he became possessed. Where he banded together the Wyatt Family. He's prowled the woods for many years. Hunting... For food, animals... Victims, even. Anytime Wyatt would go missing after a show, everyone would immediately know not to go after him, for he was lost in the woods, and wouldn't be back for hours. Many coworkers saw Wyatt for more of a wolf than a man, just for the creature he became when he was in the dark woods at night.

Even after Matt Hardy helped to tame Sister Abigail, and became much more human as a result, Wyatt still felt such a pleasure any time he'd step foot into the woods. He loved it, and it would always be home to him and the Family. It didn't matter that Sister Abigail was asleep in his psyche half the time; Wyatt was never afraid going out onto a path at night, even when she wasn't there to give him those animal-like qualities that raised his awareness and heightened his senses. It was like he just sort of _knew_ the place. Everything about it was just instinctual.

This is where his home at heart is. This is where his comfort zone is now that everything's out of whack and all screwed up.

Turning his back to the fire and feeling the warmth against his back, Wyatt stands with his feet shoulder-width apart, arms crossed over his chest. He turns to look at Harper, still in the rocking chair with Layla right by the fireplace. He tips his chin in their direction.

"How's she?" he asks softly.

Raising a gentle finger to his lips, Harper nods. "She's fast asleep," he whispers as not to wake his baby. "Sleeping like an angel."

Wyatt grins. "That's good," he says. "She was quite cranky earlier." The poor baby girl was very miserable; she cried and cried for almost an hour, and no amount of hushing or pacing laps around the room could calm her down

Harper chuckles. " _Quite._ She cried for a while there," he says. "I think she was just really hungry. Probably tired too; it is pretty late." She grins down at Layla in his arms, giving her a light bounce. "But that's all better now, isn't it? After you finished that bottle, you were out like a light!"

The sight of Harper and his unbreakable love towards his daughter makes Wyatt flourish. "She's very peaceful," he points out. "Perhaps you should put her down for the night. I'm sure you could use some rest as well, Father Harper."

Agreeing, Harper nods. Securing Layla against his shoulder, he slowly stands up from his spot on the chair, making sure not to move suddenly and wake her back up. "Good idea," he says. "You all have a good night and a good rest. I'll see you all in the morning." With that, he paces very slowly with light footsteps on his boots to his respective room - the one with the crib, and heads in to retire for the night.

Just then, Jeff groans, collapsing over onto the rug in defeat. Based on the smug expression Rowan has on his face, it's evident who ended up winning that game. He stays splained out for a few seconds to let his loss settle in, then he sits up sharply. "Alright. I'm done for the night," he tells the others. "I'm gonna turn in too, I think. That took way to much mental energy than it probably should have."

"Probably the best idea. No one should have to endure a sleepless night because of something like losing against Rowan," Wyatt purrs. He then looks to his other companion. "Rowan?"

Rowan shakes his head. "Nah. Not just yet. I think I'll head out for a night swim before I go to bed," he says. "Helps me tire out."

"Very well," Wyatt says. "Jeff, shall we leave Matt there for now?"

Jeff peers towards his brother, who's still obviously deeply engrossed in his conversation with Paige. "I think he'll be okay there," he says. "When he comes out of that trance, he'll move to our room if he's not keen with sleeping on that couch."

"Wonderful," Wyatt says. "Well, let's get ourselves to bed. The fire's burning, so we should be comfortable and warm. Of course, if anything should happen, wake the others. I wish you all a goodnight."

Before he gets into bed himself, Wyatt watches out his window for just a few minutes longer as a precaution to make sure everything is most definitely secure, and no one's going to break in while they're sleeping. Since everything is calm and quiet, except for the receding footsteps of Rowan walking towards the lake against the leaves, Wyatt knows it's safe to go to bed. He trusts in his Family that they'll wake him up if things don't seem quite right.

Right before he gets up from his kneeling position at the windowsill, he catches his reflection, and notices something a little odd happen to him. Without fear, he watches as a couple drops of blood drip from his nose... Followed by a brief stream that lasts no more than a few seconds before stopping.

Smiling warmly, Wyatt knuckles the blood from underneath his nose, and rubs the rest out of his moustache with his fingers. Standing up, he

That's how he knows that she's happy here, too.


	10. Chapter 10: Carry On, My Wayward Son

Chapter 10: Carry On, My Wayward Son

 _Carry on, my wayward son_

 _There'll be peace when you are done_

 _Lay your weary head to rest_

 _Don't you cry no more_

The song by Kansas blasts from the radio of the green hummer that Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens stole. They've got all sorts of weapons imaginable in the trunk: rifles, handguns, shotguns, hunting knives, the most ammo any hunter could ever dream of. If anyone didn't know better, they'd think they were on a hunting excursion, or out on a murder spree.

But Owens and Zayn mean no harm at all, not to any fellow WWE superstars.

Rather, they're giving themselves a job. Even Shane commends them for their bravery and reverent actions

Anyone with a brain knows that what Stephanie and Paul are doing isn't legal, by any means. At this point, they should have a life sentence in prison. Of course, they don't; they're still ruling over NYC.

But they've been visited at the palace by quite a few police officers, most of which heard about their crime and were coming to arrest them.

How is it that they're still free?

The answer's easy. Since Paul and Stephanie are looking to overrule the city, one of their lines of duty involves showing those in high authority who's in charge. That means gaining the respect - or the fear, if it comes down to it - of the cops. That means putting the lives of the cops who try to oppose them through hell. Show them who really has the power to decide what's right and what's wrong. Often times, that means leaving them in a place where no one could ever find them with life-threatening injuries, allowing them to die a slow, agonizing death.

That's where Owens and Zayn come in.

They've made their job to drive around and find the cops who were victimized by Steph. Do what they can to help them, make sure they get to where they need to be so they can make a full recovery. If they aren't badly hurt, they show them to where the shuttles are, and direct them to where they can leave the city and find safety.

This afternoon, the two of them are looking for a guy by the name of Joey Stafford. According to the trackers that the two of them have on their laptop, he was last spotted near the edge of some pond, clothes wet. From the looks of it, he wasn't able to just stand up and walk away; he must have an injury keeping him from being able to put weight on his leg. The poor thing must be frozen half to death by now.

"Alright... Now we take a left turn down this street," Zayn mutters over the blaring radio.

Due to his doing nearly ten over the speed limit, Owens almost misses the turn. He takes a dangerously wide turn, flinging their van to the left and burning rubber in the process. The drivers coming from the other direction and those trying to turn from the street Owens just pulled onto honk in aggravation and panic. All they see is a huge van with a bunch of band stickers on the back window, thumping with music.

"Oh, all of you can shut up!" Owens yells, even though none of them can hear him with the windows up, and considering the fact that he's halfway down the street at this point. "We've got a job to do!"

Zayn pounds his fist excitedly against the window. "Hell yeah! What are you all doing?" he retorts with a haughty laugh. Turning to his laptop, he nods at a gravelled path up ahead. "Down there, it says. Gonna have to park up here and take our stuff down there."

"Damn, must be a hike," Owens replies. "What's the area like?"

Zayn purses his lips. "A gorge. A whole gorge," he says. "That must've been the goal there. Dump him where no one would be willing to go. Even if he's not badly hurt, he's still soaking wet, and he's in a place no one's gonna go to find a freezing fucking cold guy."

"Sick. That's really sick," Owens mutters, opening the door to the car. "Well, let's get out there. Every second counts for him."

Together, Zayn and Owens unpack their survival pack from the back of the van, and start down the dirt path into the gorge. Both of their backpacks are heavy on their shoulders, and weigh them down a bit as they run, but it's easy to ignore when they know there's someone out there struggling more than they are. They have everything they need to help the injured officer, as well as plenty of extra supplies to help themselves, if it comes down to it.

The two superstars knows exactly when they've found the gorge after a long, but energizing jog down the path; they're standing at the top of a short mountain of rocks. The ones at the top where they're standing are dusted with dirt and dry, relatively safe to stand and climb on, if they're smart about where they step. The middle layer has a few patches of gravel, and the rocks are covered in moss. It's the bottom that's the danger area; the rocks down that way are either wet from the gorge, or they've got a thin layer of slick algae. An actual death sentence if one of them were to slip and fall.

Between the two rock walls is an angry, rushing brook, white jets washing up around the rocks slithering between them until it all pours down a foaming waterfall a ways down the gorge. It doesn't take Owens and Zayn long to spot something that's out of place.

A decent walk down the bottom of the gorge, on the clean other side of the brook that shaded by an area of , there's a figure. It looks to be that of a young man with neatly styled auburn hair, though, at the moment, it seems to be dampened and soaked down. He wears the navy blue uniform of the NYPD, though, his hat seems to be long swept away by the current. From this distance, it looks as though he was simply ditched in a gathering of rocks near the edge of the gorge: hidden by the trees if someone were to look down upon it, yet still deep enough in the rock to keep this man submerged to the point where his clothes will be wet and uncomfortable as hell.

Hopefully he isn't unconconscious. If he can cling onto consciousness just a bit longer, his chances of living will be higher.

As soon as they see it, Owens and Zayn feel the urgence.

"See him?" Owens asks.

Zayn nods, focused on the figure in the gorge. "Let's get 'im," he says.

The two of them get out their ropes and their harnesses. Fastening the hooks of the ropes to a ledge in the top rock, and strap the harnesses around their waists and chests. Very carefully so they won't slip, they begin their descent into the gorge. Both of them make sure they look down at the rock before they step, just to be sure they won't slip on any moss, and that the rock has a surface that's safe to step on before they take their next step down. It gets even more nerve-wracking as they near the bottom of the cliffs; the rocks get very slippery, and it's hard not to loose footing while trying to find another safe place to step.

At the bottom, Owens and Zayn take extra care to make sure that they have good footing on the mossy ground even as the water continues to soak their boots. When they've got their balance, they unhook their ropes, coil them back up, and throw them over their shoulder, ready to keep going.

"Alright. Which way do we take to get over there?" Zayn questions. "We gonna walk along this stretch here first? Just until we get to the guy, it's probably safest."

Owens nods in agreement. "Yep. Just to avoid the rocks," he says. "Then we walk through the brook over there... Not as rocky, it looks like. He's hidden by most of the rocks in that area, anyways. Our shoes are already wet; nothing to lose there." Looking up, he nods his chin in the opposite direction the brook is flowing in. "Once we get him, we're gonna have to walk back that way. We can't climb back up the rocks with him if he can't walk. There's gotta be some woods we can bushwhack through to get back."

"Good plan, brutha," Zayn agrees.

With that, they take a walk through the damp dirt to get out of the rocky zone, where they'll be more likely to fall and hurt themselves. All the while they're careful to avoid the rushing current that occasionally sloshes up by their feet to keep from tripping or getting caught in the water. While their shoes and the bottoms of their pants are already wet, it might be hard to carry back a deadweight man if all of their clothes are wet. Besides, they want to be at least a little warm to the guy; he's going to be shivering like mad as soon as the cold breeze hits him.

They know they've walked far enough when the rocks grow a little smaller and easier to walk around. Just on the other side of the brook, they see their man; he hasn't moved an inch.

Zayn nods at Owens. "Watch your step," he advises his buddy before they step into the water.

As expected, they find themselves in knee-deep water, their boots becoming waterlogged. But they pay no mind to it, and tromp willingly through the water, no matter how weighty their boots and jeans feel as they walk. Though it's fairly easy to see to the bottom of the brook and easy to avoid the rocks they might trip over, they can't exactly gage how slippery it is. Zayn's left boot catches on a patch of algae, and as he begins to step forward, he slips, falling and almost landing on his knees. Thankfully, he catches his fall on a nearby rock sticking out of the water, and only his red jeans up until his thighs and the end of his left sleeve get wet.

Hearing the splash behind him, Owens sharply looks over his shoulder to see Zayn catch himself before fully hitting the water. "You okay?" he asks gently.

Breathing out tensely as he catches his breath, Zayn straightens himself back up. "Yeah, I'm cool," he reassures him.

Owens nods. "Careful," he reminds his buddy.

Being extremely cautious the rest of the way, the two of them safely make it to the spot where the police officer continues to rest, unmoving. When the two of them bend down to make sure he's okay, they're relieved to find that he's still conscious. While his eyes are closed, they notice that they're squeezed shut, and he's actively wincing. His breathing isn't shallow in the slightest; he's actually breathing through gritted teeth, grunting in pain.

At a closer look, Owens and Zayn find that the cop's right ankle is twisted extremely awkwardly, and that's why he's splained out on his stomach in the water the way he is; he can't move because of it. Those sons of bitches... They broke his ankle and left him in this dangerous, rocky spot in this uncomfortable position so he couldn't get out and try to find help. They really were looking for him to either stay down here and starve or freeze to death, perhaps even drown if the rain came by: whichever came first.

Carefully so he won't cause the cop any more discomfort than he's already in, Owens gives the cop a shake by the shoulders. "Hey. Hey, are you okay?" he says in a calm, quiet voice.

Finally, the cop stirs, eyes slowly fluttering open as he cranes his neck to look up at his two saviors. Owens and Zayn can clearly see that he's got scratches all over his face; it's obvious he wasn't going to be left here without a fight, but he couldn't do much with a broken ankle.

Shocked, the cop's breathing catches, and he knits his eyebrows in confusion. "S-Sami Zayn?" he questions, voice hoarse, most likely from catching a cold. "Kevin Owens? That really you?"

Zayn nods. "You bet," he says. "Everything okay, bro?"

The cop coughs heavily, a string of drool coming up. He winces, as the sudden movement must cause some pain in his injured ankle. "I-I-I'm alive... I suppose that means I'm okay." A fearful look shadows his face, and he lowers his voice. "The hell are you two doing here? Don't you know that... _They're_ after you two? You've gotta get out of here. I'll be fine... I will."

Zayn shakes his head. "Forget them. They don't scare us," he reassures the cop. "We've got a job, and that job is to get you to safety so their goals of killing you don't succeed."

Again, the cop's breathing falters with relief, and his eyes even begin to water up. "Aw man... Thank you. Thank you so much, that... That means the world to me," he mutters with so much alleviation that his speech is slurred and he's barely able to speak.

"No problem, man," Owens reassures him. "What's your name, dude?"

"Johnny," the cop says, though his voice is no louder than a simple whisper. "Johnny Kenan."

Owens gestures with his head in the direction he and Zayn planned to escape this place. "Let's get you out of here, Kenan," he says. "I'm gonna pick you up and hold you over my shoulders, alright? It might cause some pressure to your ankle, but I'm gonna do my best to be careful. Trust me, I know what I'm doing man; I'm a wrestler."

As promised, Owen slowly and carefully bends down and hoists Kenan over his shoulders. The few movements of his injury make him groan slightly, but once Owens has him in a fireman's carry and his ankle is secured, he's okay. And as expected, the second he's out of the water and his wet clothes are in the open air, he begins to shiver. They've gotta get him to warmth as soon as they can.

"Alright, Zayn. Lead the way," he says.

Zayn leads Owens to dry land, and clears a path on the wet soil for Owens that's nice and safe, seeing as he can't look down. He makes sure there's nothing to trip over like rocks and branches, guiding his friend and their man away from the dangers of the gorge. Any time he hears Owens stumble behind him, he makes sure he's ready to catch Kenan if something happens. If there's algae, or a slippery spot, or a mudslide leading into the water, Zayn makes sure to warn them, "Careful."

It's a long trek, but they eventually make it to an area where the rocks lead safely up into the woods, and onto a path at the top of a hill. Zayn continues to lead Owens and Kenan up through the woods where there's no path, and continues to make sure there's no dangers that could trip them up. He's sure to hold back branches so Owens can get through, and point out any stumps buried in the dried, crunching leaves below their boots. It's a steep hill, and a lot of work for Owens to climb with a deadweight man on his back. Zayn can hear his labored breathing and heavy footsteps behind him. But this man is shivering like mad, and he's not comfortable in this position, and Owens fights against the weight and the gravity of the hill to get to the top, where they'll be able to get them to safety.

Zayn knows he's found the path they're supposed to be on when his feet hit dusty ground. He waits at the top for Owens, a few steps behind with Kenan, to join him. By the time he makes it, he's panting heavily, pausing and bending his knees slightly to catch his breath. Of course, in the ring he can pick another man up over his shoulders and drop him to the ring with no problem. But carrying someone up a hill? That'd exhaust any superstar.

"You cool?" Zayn asks.

Owens nods, taking another breath. "Yeah. We're good," he says. "Pretty sure this path should loop around, I remember seeing it on the route map. Let's get him to the truck where he'll be warm."

With that, they continue with determination to the truck, which isn't as daunting as walking along the edge of the river or climbing the hill. After a brisk walk, they find themselves at the truck, where they'll be able to get Kenan to safety.

Zayn throws open the door, and then helps Owens settle Kenan into the backseat, his ankle secured on a pillow. The two of them then take off his soaking wet uniform, shoes, and socks, leaving him in his pair of army green boxers, and wrap him in a yellow, fleece blanket so he'll be warm.

"There. You comfortable?" Owens asks softly.

Kenan nods, teeth still chattering as he's still adjusting to being warm. "Y-y-yeah... Much better," he insists.

"Good. You'll warm up in a minute; we'll make sure to crank the heat," Zayn reassures him. He then looks towards Owens, adjusting his flat cap. "Wanna hit the road?"

Owens nods, heading back to the driver's seat of the truck while Zayn climbs in back with Kenan to help heal his injury. As soon as everything's packed up - their luggage and all - Owens gets the truck started up, and takes off screeching down the road, burning rubber and all. He takes a U-turn, causing Kenan to jolt a little and gasp sharply from the pain in his ankle.

"Easy there, Owens," Zayn reminds him.

"Sorry, man!" Owens calls from the front of the car.

As Owens slows down a bit to keep from bumping Kenan's ankle around too much, Zayn gets to work. He takes out all the equipment from their medical kit that he's going to need to fix Kenan's ankle: a gel ice pack, some plaster bandages, and an ace wrap. They might not have what they really need to fix a broken ankle, but it's surely better than nothing. It's _much_ better than leaving Kenan at a hospital; since they're in compliance with Stephanie, they're required to turn in any WWE superstars and anyone considered "wanted," including uncooperative police officers. Until they can get Kenan out of NYC, their form of treatment will work just fine.

Gently as possible, Zayn wraps the ice pack around Kenan's right ankle, just holding it in place so it'll numb his sore muscles. "What'd they try to do to you, Kenan?" he asks the police officer, being careful as he approaches the question, knowing he could still be traumatized by it.

Kenan sniffles, still shuddering slightly from the cold of the ice pack. "W-well... It started when I told Stephanie and Triple H that this was a stupid idea... This whole _thing_ they're doing, taking over the city," he explains. "I didn't think they'd get as violent as they did. Stephanie actually looked at me kind of sweetly... Then she ordered her men to seize me. And they grabbed me, and I fought them as hard as I could. It was no use... They just brought me out to their truck. Threw me in back. Shut the door and left me in the dark.

"I had no idea where they were taking me, but it felt like I was slamming myself against that door for hours. Next thing I knew, they dragged me out and I was in the woods. They pinned me down against the ground... _Hard._ And all at once, some guy grabbed my ankle, and just... Snapped it. Barely took him any effort. Then they dragged me by the collar down into the brook. Left me there, just the way you two found me. I tried to move, but I just couldn't. I realized they caused me such a minor inconvenience like that so I would suffer... And die slowly." Kenan swallows heavily, horror reflecting in his eyes.

Owens shakes his head, growling under his breath. "Sick. They're all sick at that palace. Every single one of them," he mutters. "Thinking they own the place. I hope to high hell someone takes them the hell out soon. Gives them what's coming to them."

All at once, while the ice pack is still wrapped around Kenan's ankle, Zayn swiftly twists Kenan's ankle so it's straight - the opposite direction the guard twisted it in - to set it back in place. The sudden movement makes Kenan squeeze his eyes shout and scream out. " _Fuck!"_

"Sorry, dude, sorry," Zayn says gently. He immediately removes the ice pack, and begins to wrap it up nice and securely in the plaster bandage. "Just setting it back."

Kenan's breathing catches, and he takes a deep breath to stabilize himself once again. "It's alright, man... It's alright," he insists. "It's starting to feel better. I feel better now."

"Good. Knew that would help," Zayn says, beginning to finish up with the plaster and holding everything in place with the ace bandage. As soon as everything is strapped into place, he tests it by moving it back and forth, nice and slowly and gently. "How's that? Feel like it's gonna stay?"

Kenan props himself up on his forearms, peering down at the dressing Zayn just put on his ankle and foot. "Yeah... Yeah, that feels a lot better," he says. "Still hurts a little but that helps."

"Good to hear," Owens says. He peers into the rearview mirror at his best friend and the cop they just saved briefly before turning back to the highway he's driving on. "Listen, bro. Zayn and I are gonna take you to the place we're staying at... Get you some clean clothes, something to help you walk better with that injury. Then we're gonna get you the hell out of New York City; we're gonna bring you to a transit stop, and once that shuttle picks you up, you get off once you're far enough away and you feel safe. Alright? And when you're in a safe city, head to a hospital. Have them check your ankle out. Okay? Can you do that for us?"

Kenan nods, still trying to catch his breath from everything that just happened. "Yeah... Yeah I'll do that," he says. He pauses for a moment, glancing back at Zayn with a confused look on his face. "You guys are saints. I mean... How come you helped me out? I ain't kidding when I say they're after you. All wrestlers like you have a bounty on your head. Why help me? Don't you two gotta get the hell out of here?"

Zayn just grins. "This is our job, man," he says. "Saving cops, y'know? The KO-Zayn business." He pats Kenan's shoulder. "You just sit back and relax for now. Don't worry about us; we're gonna be fine."

Kenan takes another deep breath, resting his head back and resting his eyes. The truck is silent for a bit, until Zayn peers out the rearview window mirror at the highway ahead of them, singing softly under his breath.

" _Lay your weary head to rest... Don't you cry no more..."_


	11. Chapter 11: Medicine For Demons

Chapter 11: Medicine For Demons

Glen Rock really isn't her place. Kind of gross, if anything, and Ruby really hopes she doesn't have to be here for long. Even if she's determined as all hell to find the Wolf Pack, she'll be pissed if they're hiding out around here. No way is she chasing them through the woods, stepping in gross shit and getting poison ivy. If that's the case, she's going to make them suffer when she finds them.

Thankfully, they don't seem to be here. Whatever. Least she doesn't have to camp out here. Guess it's not far enough away for those twats.

Fed up with all the townie shit for one night, Ruby finds herself in what seems to be an inn, hoping to stay the night. _Just_ tonight. After that, she's out of here. Onto the next town. Peace out, Glen Rock.

Oddly, this doesn't seem to be an inn at all. It's someone's library, or something weird like that. And she _knows_ this guy.

He sits at a desk behind a few rows of bookshelves, minding his own business and keeping to the books he has laid out in front of them. They seem to be on torture chambers or something of the like, but Ruby can't see the pages clearly from where she stands. The man in question has a wiffled head, though, the small amount of hair he does have is a jet black, and he dresses in formal clothes: a pair of black slacks, black dress shoes, and a maroon sweater vest.

Trying to keep quiet on her heeled boots, Ruby approaches the man sitting at his desk, knitting her eyebrows in curiosity. "Constable?"

Sharply, not expecting a visitor, the man turns around, and Ruby finds that she's most definitely right about who she's talking to. This is Constable Baron Corbin's study... _Stephanie's_ Constable. She must have given him the go-ahead to leave whenever he wanted, just as she had for her.

Even though his thought process was interrupted, Corbin still grins. "Ah, yes. Ruby Riott. I've actually been expecting you," he says.

Ruby just narrows one eye, still unable to stop looking at him funny. "Have you?" she questions. "What the hell are you doing out here? Was this really the only city MacMahon could buy out as a salvation for you? 'Cause it if it, I feel bad, not gonna lie." She rolls her eyes in the direction of the nearby window. "Glen Rock is kind of a dump."

Corbin chuckles. "Of course not, don't worry about that," he insists. "This was my city of choice. See, I don't mind it out here in the wilderness like this. It's quiet. I can catch up on my studies of how to advance the cause in New York out here, since I figured it'd eventually become chaotic in the palace with all the screaming I envision will be happening." He shrugs. "Besides. If any escapers think it was a good idea to find safety in these woods, they're sadly mistaken; I've got my eye on these woods, and this is my domain." He smirks, eyes becoming dark and evil, but only for a second. Clearing his throat, Corbin straightens back up in his chair and crosses one leg over the other. "But enough about me. Stephanie tells me that you've left New York City to figure out where a certain group of wrestlers went. You know the ones, don't you? Braun Strowman... Alexa Bliss. Ember Moon. Sasha Banks." That dark and grim look returns to his face. " _Finn... Bálor?"_

Slowly, Ruby nods and crosses her arms over her chest. "Uh-huh. They're the ones I'm looking for," she says.

Corbin grins once again. "Of course. I know you're getting quite the reward for it as well," he says. Pulling his chair out from the desk and standing up, he smiles wryly, and slowly grabs Ruby around the waist, swaying her back and forth. "It's a reward that's really worth it... Getting to have special relations with the throne. Trust me, I know. And as soon as I heard about it, I wanted you to succeed."

All the while, Ruby attempts to keep an unamused expression on her ghastly features, though, Corbin's charm causes her to fail miserably, and a smile creeps upon her darkly-painted lips as lust glimmers in her eyes. "So you did," she growls seductively. "And why's that?"

Corbin chuckles softly under his breath, combing a curtain of her jet black locks behind her ear with very light strokes of his fingertips. "Well, if all goes according to plan, and _they're_ far out of our way and no longer my problem, I had a vision. Perhaps I could convince Steph and Levesque to allow the two of us to rule side-by-side, just as they do. Both of us are of high standing, after all."

The thought makes Ruby blush, smiling even more than she already was, even if she hates being seen by others in such a flustered state. Corbin's a really rather handsome man. A smart one, too. She wouldn't mind sitting beside him on a satiny, jewel-encrusted throne. Both of them deserve it if everything goes the way they want, anyways; they did a lot of work to get to where they are right now.

"What do you think?" Corbin purrs.

Ruby places her hands on his shoulders. "Well, I love the idea," she says. But then a realization comes to mind, and she frowns, dragging her fingertips down the front of Corbin's chest. "I've got a slight problem, though."

Corbin lets her go, looking to her curiously. "Ah? What's the matter?" he asks.

She sighs, brushing the toe of her boot against the carpeted floor. "I can kill most of them off, no problem. They're perfectly human and they stand no chance; once I find them, they're roadkill. No one will even be able to identify their bodies," she says. "It's Bálor that poses the issue." As soon as his name passes her lips, that threatening anger comes back to Corbin's features. But Ruby continues to explain. "Even when Finn's gone, the Demon stays. You've dealt with the Demon before, haven't you? How am I supposed to send the Demon back to hell? I'm not gonna let some mangled, rabid creature keep me from taking my rightful place at the throne."

Corbin nods, a knowing smile coming straight back to his face. "I have just the thing that you need," he says. "Wait here."

With that, he disappears down a row of bookshelves, and into some room Ruby can't see in the dimly-lit room. While he's gone, she peers down at the book opened up on his desk, and scans over what he was reading. Honestly, it does peak her interest; it shows lots of brutal ways to give someone a slow, torturous death. Some of the tactics seem really inhumane and unusual, and just plain cruel. _Even better._ Ruby's going to have the _time of her life_ when she's ruling beside Corbin. And she can't way.

Corbin isn't gone long, and when he returns, he has a decently-sized, burlap sack. "Here you are, Ruby. I always have packs like these with me when I fear I might run into that precious Demon of Bálor's," he says. "This is what I like to call _Medicine for Demons."_

Ruby purses her lips. "Huh. Interesting. What's in it?"

"Many different things you can use to kill demons, and keep you safe from them, as a bonus," Corbin explains. "What I reccommend is setting up a Devil's trap before you even kill Bálor; as soon as he's dead, the Demon's got full control over his body. Means he can run from you before you have the chance to turn your head. Who knows what the hell he'll do from there? Could be a death sentence." He shrugs. "Once you've got the Demon right where you want him, use these things on him. I've given you salt, sage, cayenne and clove. Pour that salt all over his skin, feed him those herbs. He'll be in his own Hell on Earth before he even goes back." His eyes then gleam in such a way that make Ruby's heart melt. "Can you make that Demon suffer for me? For everything he's done to me in that ring?"

Ruby grins sinisterly, taking the bag from Corbin's hands. She lifts it to her nose, and takes a soft sniff of all those soothing spices inside, then looks back at Corbin. "Of course," she whispers. "Your wish is my command, Constable." Leaning in, she nibbles on his lower earlobe, gently at first, then greedily nabs a little harder.

Corbin's face bleeds and burns a fire red, as he purrs gently. "I know you won't let me down, my princess," he says. "Have a safe travel."

The two of them immediately touch lips, gaining more passion with each second, as they bite each other's lips, nudge at each other's tongues, then all at once, pull away. With everything said and done, Ruby gives Corbin one last smile, and turns on her heel before walking out of Corbin's study.

Maybe that's one good thing to come out of Glen Rock. Guess not everything can just be bashed right away.


	12. Chapter 12: Tough Love

Chapter 12: Tough Love

With everyone roaming the streets - superstar or not - it's hard to tell when there's danger and when there isn't. Civilians probably go missing all the time, and not many people would notice it happening; Steph's men are sneaky like that. When someone's anxious girlfriend runs up to a complete stranger asking desperately where her boyfriend went, all anyone can do is apologetically shake their head because they didn't see anything suspicious happen. The streets were far too messy to see anyone go missing.

But when a superstar thinks they see one of Stephanie's men, they're usually right. They've trained their eyes to pick them out from the rest of the crowd.

Rusev, his wife Lana, and his best friend, Aiden English knew they were being stalked right away.

All three of them caught a glimpse of the agent at the same time, wearing the uniform, walking stiffly, like a death march. All civilians that are in this man's path are quick to scurry out of this guy's way, knowing what his job is and what he could do to them if he were to catch them. At first, the three superstars figured the guard didn't see them, and they had made a narrow escape; he had been on the other side of the street, and they could easily duck away.

Next thing they knew, even though they had made it a couple of blocks, they were being tailed by the same guy. This time, he was on the same side of the street they were on. This sketched them out, caused some adrenaline knowing things didn't seem safe. While they didn't panic and run away, knowing it'd give them away, they tried to mix themselves into the crowds of people, hoping the guard will eventually lose them and give up.

No such luck.

Every time they looked back, the guard was getting closer to catching up to them. The worst thing is that it isn't like they can turn back without getting caught. This guy keeps on following them until the crowds of people become thinner and thinner, and there's less people for them to hide amongst.

All at once, they find themselves in an empty parking lot near a rundown school building - a high school probably, where no one lingers. They're running, and the guard is actively chasing after them. As soon as they have the chance, they duck into the abandoned building, hoping that the guard won't follow them in.

He doesn't. He gives into their game. So long as they're hiding in the building, he paces around the outer perimeter, waiting for them to come out. Looking for the right moment to shank one of them and bring them to Stephanie and Paul's dungeon, where they belong.

And so long as the guard continues to pace, Rusev, English and Lana remain inside.

* * *

The three superstars have been cornered in this same building for the past five hours. Not for a second has the guard given up on circling the building, keeping them barred in until they decide to come out. The sun's starting to set, and if the trio ever _does_ manage to escape the building, they'll be caught in the dark, and a lot easier to catch when the paratroopers start searching.

Damn, these guards know what they're doing, surprisingly. One way or another, the trio is fucked.

Rusev stands against a wall that's right at the edge of a window. In this position, he can simply turn on his foot, and peer out the window without being seen through the glass. He holds his M4 rifle in his arms in case of an attack. Lana keeps herself hidden, ducking just before the windowsill, holding onto Rusev's leg to keep him steady so he won't topple over in the process of looking out the window and break their cover. English comfortably sits against the wall right under the windowsill, keeping his own AK47 rifle in his arms, also ready to fight in the case of an ambush.

Sighing and taking a step away from the window, Rusev shakes his head. "He just won't leave," he says. "He's gonna stick around here all night, if he has to."

"Figures," English mutters. "Doesn't make a difference to him if he's caught out in the dark - he's not the one who's gonna get killed if he's caught out here at night."

Lana brushes the platinum hair out of her face. "We're this guy's trophy," she points out. "Seems like he has every intent to bring us back alive." Desperately, Lana squeezes her husband's leg to grab his attention. "We need to take this guy out. We're not gonna get back to the bomb shelter before the troopers come out if he's still alive and pacing."

Rusev breathes out heavily, nodding in agreement. "We're gonna have to kill him. We don't have a choice - it's either us or him," he says. He purses his lips, looking down at his black boots in thought. "How are we supposed to do that?"

English averts his eyes up towards his best friend. "We could ambush him," he suggests. "Wait until he comes back to this window. He doesn't know what side of the building we're on - he just knows we're here. Right before he leaves, we all take out our weapons, and we shoot him down before he can make another lap. He can't take out all three of us at once."

Despite the logical idea, Rusev shakes his head. "No," he says plainly, voice a low growl.

Lana knits an eyebrow, a confused look coming to her face. "What?" she questions. "That's the safest way to do it. Three against one - Aiden's right when he says he doesn't stand a chance. What the hell else are we supposed to do, bub?"

"We're not going to be taking chances with more lives than we have to," Rusev says firmly to both of his companions, though, it's mostly directed towards Lana. "I'm going to go out, and I'm going to stay hidden until the last second. Then I'm going to come out before he can even realize what happened, and I'm gonna kill him. You two will stay right where you are until he's dead. And if shit goes wrong, then you can decide what to do for yourselves." He clears his throat. "But that won't happen. Just trust me, alright?"

Both Lana and English stay quiet. Slightly miffed, Lana rolls her eyes, while English presses his lips together, looking at her with a sympathetic look in his eyes.

For a good five minutes, the trio is silent while Rusev waits for the right moment to exit the building. When that moment arrives, he slings his gu over his shoulder, and nods towards Lana and English. "Alright. Coast is clear," he says. "Stay right here. Make sure he can't see you."

Using the nearby emergency exit, Rusev leaves the building, and heads out into the dim light of the setting sun. Once he's gone, Lana stands up to take on the position Rusev was once in, and keeps a close, protective eye on her husband. Making sure to stay light on his feet, Rusev creeps towards a good spot to hide, where he'll be hidden until the guard comes around again. It's not proven to be very easy though; the area is a patio with very few hiding options. Knowing that it's not going to be a long period of time before the guard comes back and sees him right out in the open, an easy target to shoot, Rusev panics and hides himself between a couple of bushes. It's not a very good hiding place, but it's something.

Even though he'd never admit it, Rusev figures that Lana and English were probably right. Safety really is in numbers, and here he is, between a couple of stupid bushes on his own.

As the guard comes around again, Lana and English make sure they're completely out of sight, and Rusev tries his hardest not to move around too much and blow his cover. But the closer and closer the guard draws, the more anxious Rusev becomes. As each nerve tightens, he creates another small rustle in the bushes, and all he can do is pray that the guard is so damn bored, he doesn't even see it.

Unfortunately for him, the guard isn't stupid. As he approaches, he sees the slight shaking of the bushes... And he knows something's in there. Slowly taking out his pistol, he cocks it, holding it out in front of him, and slowing down to a subtle stalk, only moving forward inches at a time.

Lana and Rusev see it right away. They know that if Rusev slips up at any point between now and the second someone's gun goes off, regardless of whose it is, he's good as dead.

"English..." Lana whispers, worried that any trace of noise will attract the guard's attention. "English, I think now's where shit's going wrong."

English pounces to his knees, still staying low to the floor, looking up at Lana and nodding. "I don't care what he said then. His ass is grass whether he knows it or not," he agrees. "Go save him, Lana. He needs you."

Nodding once, Lana slips out her own glock. She sneaks towards the same door Rusev slipped out of, and right before the guard can even pull back the trigger, Lana raises a blue boot, and smashes the door open. Immediately, she holds her glock out in front of her, cocks it, and points it straight at the guard. "Oi, _govnyuk!"_ she yells out.

Both the guard and Rusev immediately snap their heads in Lana's direction. The guard is confused, completely unsure of where this other superstar just came from, and wondering how the hell long she'd been there.

Rusev, on the other hand, is less than impressed for Lana breaking his word. Aggravated with her for totally blowing his cover, he stands up firmly out of the bushes, making sure his rifle is cocked and pointed right at the guard. "Lana!" he scolds her.

No one has much time to do anything else before Lana pulls the trigger on the guard. The silver bullet pierces him right in the middle of his chest, and with a choking gasp, blood erupting from his mouth, he falls over to the ground. For a good minute, he remains there, seizing and gasping for air as his eyes roll to the back of his skull until he falls silent, eyes bloodshot and staring off into nothingness.

Now that the coast is definitely clear, English runs outside to meet the two of them, and Rusev storms over to Lana, glaring at her. "What the hell did you just do there, Lana?" he barks. "Why on earth would you come out here and _completely_ risk me getting shot like that? You saw how close he was, and you clearly saw he was ready to shoot!"

Lana narrows her eyes and curls her lip at her husband. "Well, you're welcome," she mutters. "You seem to be forgetting that I just saved your life. There's no way you could have fended off that guy. If I didn't distract him before you came out of the bushes, he'd have shooted you before you even had a chance to position yourself."

Rusev roughly grabs Lana by the collar of her white button-up shirt, looking her square into her amber eyes. "No, Lana. _You_ seem to be forgetting that I told you I'd have it all under control. And I did! I knew _exactly_ what I was doing, and I knew exactly what was happening. You were just too cranked up to be able to tell," he growls. "What you did was stupid and reckless. He could have killed me before _you_ had a chance. We are both lucky. Now, learn something from this and don't ever interrupt my plans in the middle of something like that again." Forcefully, Rusev lets go of Lana's collar, giving her the slightest shove and causing her to stumble backwards a couple steps.

Lana's face begins to heat up like Rusev had just slapped her. He may as well have done just that; his words stab Lana through the heart like a knife. What she had done was _stupid._ It was _reckless._ She could have gotten him killed. Too cranked up to see his plan. But in reality, she wasn't missing a damn thing. She's been married to her husband for five years now, and she knows very well when he's panicking before a fight and doesn't know what he's supposed to do. She's seen it in the ring enough times, she's fought alongside him _so_ many times. Besides, part of his plan was for her and English to step in when something was going wrong. And something _had_ been going wrong.

How dare Rusev say those things to her, like she doesn't know anything about him.

It rarely happens to Lana. Her throat and chest tighten up, and her eyes water up so fast she doesn't have the time to fight them off before they stream down her cheeks like rain against a window. Her lip puckers and a soft whimper escapes her. She tries to breathe in deeply and clench her fists, but her limbs are too weak, and her breathing comes out shaky.

But Rusev doesn't notice what he's done to his wife. He just sighs heavily. "Let's go. It's starting to get dark," he murmurs. Softening his look, he turns to English and nods once to beckon him to come with. And without even waiting for either of his companions, he turns, and he begins to walk away.

Lana doesn't follow him. She can't even move. And English, shocked himself with what he just saw, won't leave her alone.

Pacing up to her, English places a hand on her shoulder, just letting her know that she's here if he wants her, and if she doesn't, he'll keep his distance. But he won't leave her either way.

After that huge blow being from Rusev, the man who's normally there to comfort her, Lana just needs someone to be at her side. English knew how unnecessary those cruel words were, and she knew he meant well. So she turns towards English, resting her cheek on his shoulder and sobbing softly.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why he did that," English says to her gently. Picking up her chin with a soft palm, he looks into her glittering, teary amber eyes. "I know you were just trying to help him. He's wrong, and whether he knows it or not, he needed you."

Using tender thumbs, English wipes the tears from Lana's cheeks, taking extra care not to smudge her mascara. "Don't be upset, Lana. Please know nothing he said was true, alright?" he says softly. "I guarantee he'll be over it soon enough. He was just scared, and he didn't want you to see it. He wants to be there for you, and he's afraid that if you see him scared, you won't feel protected by him." English brushes the long, platinum hair off of Lana's shoulders and away from her cheeks so he can see her face. "Besides. He isn't just scared for himself. He's scared for you, too. He doesn't want to see anything bad happen to you, and it's because he loves you. In a tough time like this, it might be tough love. But trust me when I say that Rusev loves you."

Lana tries to answer, but it just comes out as a high-pitched squeak, followed by another sob.

English sighs softly, bringing Lana in close to his chest. He wraps one arm around her waist, and his other hand holds her head close to his shoulder. "Oh... Please don't cry. I hate seeing such a pretty face cry," he whispers. In an attempt to soothe Lana, he uses his angelic singing voice; very soft, softer than he usually sings, he hums softly into Lana's ear, hoping it'll calm her down.

Thankfully, it works. As she listens to him sing, she slowly stops crying, until her whimpers are nothing more than soft sniffles. When English lifts her head back up, he finds that her makeup is slightly smudged and her eyes a bit swollen, but her tears are dried, and she's breathing steadily. She'll be better so long as he stays with her.

"Better?" English asks softly.

Lana nods. " _Da,"_ she says, her voice still a little damp and softer than usual.

"Good," he answers. "Now, it certainly isn't safe for us to stay out here too much longer. Let's get back to the shelter, shall we? I'm sure Rusev will be happy to see us."

With that, the two of them walk back in the direction of the shelter, making sure they're very careful of their surroundings. All the while, to keep Lana warm, safe and comforted, English keeps a tight arm wrapped around her shoulders.


	13. Chapter 13: The Stalker

Chapter 13: The Stalker

A couple of days ago, the Wolf Pack made it safely to the Vermont line. Even if they are out of New York, they aren't completely out of the water yet. They're still close enough to New York that someone could be following them still. There's still a long way to go before they make it to the Wyatt Family's cabin, and once they make it there with no uninvited guests, they'll be completely out of harm's way.

The Wolf Pack finds themselves walking down a road along the woods this evening. It's rather dark, considering the tall pine trees shade out the moon and the stars in the sky. The only thing that's allowing them to see the road in front of them is the lantern that Ember holds, as she leads the group down through the woods.

The first of the Wolf Pack to break the silence is Sasha. "Wow... It's really quiet here," she says. She then purses her lips in thought. "But not like it was in New York. It's a nice quiet... Not creepy."

"Probably because New York isn't supposed to be quiet at this hour," Lexi points out. She looks up to the sparkly, night sky and the tops of the trees. "Out here? Having the quiet's nice. We're in the middle of the woods." She shrugs. "Guess it means there's a bear if it isn't quiet."

Ember nods in agreement. "Can't wait to get camping," she says. "Reminds me of the times I lived in the mountains on my own. That was nice."

The Wolf Pack enjoys the quiet of the woods, the only sound being that of the pavement under their boots. All anyone can hear is the soft breeze through the trees, not a sound from the woods. That's how they know they're making good distance, and that no one is following them.

Even though everything appears to be safe, Bálor finds himself getting a sharp hot flash as the Demon wakes up sharply, perking up and taking in the Wolf Pack's surroundings. Bálor thinks he's just been startled by something, but after a long silence from the Demon, he finally speaks.

 _Someone's here, Bálor..._

In response, Bálor knits his eyebrows. _I don't think so, boy,_ he responds to the Demon. _It's so quiet. No one's here but us._

He gets another hot flash as the Demon growls, clearly disagreeing. _No,_ he says firmly. _There's someone else here. I can_ sense _them. They're nearby. They're following us._

Frustrated, Bálor sighs out loud, and simply looks around at his surroundings. Using Ember's light, he tries to figure out who, exactly, could possibly be following them. No one has been here for days, how could someone just suddenly find them all the way out here.

As expected, Bálor decides the Demon is just having a nervous spell, as he does sometimes when he really wants to fight, and opts to ignore it.

This, however, pisses off the Demon. Once again, he growls, but much more aggressively, causing Bálor to feel so hot he turns red on the outside. Then, the Demon does something he doesn't do very often; not unless there's danger and he's got to get Bálor _out_ of somewhere faster than he can move when he's got control over his own body. The Demon grabs onto Bálor's wrist forcefully, so much that he won't be able to shake it free, even if he tried. Bálor has no choice but to spread his fingers, and allow the Demon to interlace his fingers with his.

Within seconds, the Demon is in control, whether Bálor likes it or not.

Braun notices his buddy's face grow more gray, his eyes become solid black, and his nails grow out to form claws almost as soon as it happens. Confused as to why the Demon just took over, he grabs onto the collar of Bálor's sweatshirt so he won't try to run away. "Hey, what are you doing out here?" he asks. "You're not supposed to take over unless Bálor lets you. What's going on, dude?"

The Demon immediately turns on Braun, whipping his head around and snapping his jaw at Braun's hands. Getting the message, Braun - the strongest guy they've got in the Wolf Pack, who's held the Demon back from mauling people on several occasions - let's the Demon go.

As soon as he's free, the Demon takes off running faster than anyone can chase after him, and he darts right into the woods. The girls screech in terror as they see Bálor bolt by, barely aware of what just happened. Braun turns to them, patting Lexi and Sasha on the back. "I don't know what's gotten into that Demon of his. He just took over Bálor and ran off," he mutters. "We're going after him." He nods in the direction of the woods where the Demon took off. "Ember, you lead - you've got the light."

Even still, the Demon's already way ahead of the rest of the group. Of course, his senses are much more sensitive than Bálor's. It's easy for him to see in the dark, since he's acclimated to see better in the dark. If there's some sort of danger, he can take off running faster than what's chasing him. Most important in this situation, he has a very keen sense of smell.

And he's picking up someone's scent.

Not a scent of someone friendly.

" _Ubi es, Litis,"_ he snarls. " _Scio Te sunt hic."_ Staying crouched down low onto all fours, the Demon stalks his prey very stealthily, taking quiet steps. Every so often, he stops, and simply watches... _They're close... He knows they're close. He can_ smell _it. They're looking for them, and he's gonna stop them before they do something they'll regret._

Throughout the Demon's whole hunt, he keeps his powers strong enough to keep Bálor silenced. He's only able to watch what the Demon's looking for through the windows of his eyes, sweating profusely as the Demon keeps him still in his fiery inferno.

Considering the Demon's doing a lot of crouching down and pausing and waiting, it doesn't take long for the rest of the Wolf Pack to catch up to him. Through the trees, he hears a familiar voice, amplified due to his sharp hearing.

"Hey! Bálor!"

Sharply, the Demon snaps his head to look over his shoulder. Sure enough, he sees Braun and the girls running towards him. Before _they_ can hear him, he jumps up and turns towards them to stop his friends. " _Manere retrorsum,"_ he warns them. " _Non te interficiemus te, si non invenit."_

Ember, who has a slight grasp on what the Demon is saying, knits her eyebrows. "What?" she questions. "There's no one here, boy."

Growling lowly, the Demon turns back around, getting ready to sprint off again. Before he can, Braun runs over. In one swift motion, Braun scoops the Demon into his arms. Predictably, the action pisses the Demon off. He kicks and screams and growls and scratches at Braun's back. His long, dagger-like nails make a few minor lacerations in Braun's skin, but they're surely bothersome.

" _Ille me opprimet stulti!"_ the Demon hisses, clawing at Braun's neck and gnashing his teeth at the air. " _Ego auxiliatus sum tibi temptatis! Tu te illi morietur si non prohibere!"_

But Braun doesn't give in. He just shakes the Demon wildly to disorient him, and hopefully give Bálor back some control. "Bálor! I know you're in there!" he says. "I think your friend here's going a little crazy!"

Concentrating hard now that the Demon's a little dizzy from all the shaking, Bálor forces himself to the front, and takes back control of his body. Once the Demon's held back, Bálor comes to in Braun's arms. He's sweating to death, panting after being exposed to such insane heat to keep him quiet.

Slowly, seeing as his friend's back, Braun places him slowly back on the ground. "Hey, you alright?" he asks worriedly. "What's gotten into him?"

Bálor coughs, gaining back his breath. "I have no idea," he says. "He swore up and down that someone was following us... I think he just got nervous. Heard a squirrel or something and thought it was a human."

Now that the Demon's weak, all he can do is growl at that comment. _There was someone there, Bálor,_ he insists, but Bálor has the power to tune him out this time.

Lexi frowns. "The poor thing. He really wants to keep you safe," she says. "At least he seems to know when things need to be checked out. Other Demons would sleep through an attack."

Ember snorts in amusement. "That sounds about right," she mutters. "I've seen it happen. You're not wrong."

Bálor sighs, nodding in agreement. "He's just anxious. I think what happened at the shuttle stop has him shaken up. He knows I'm nervous, and it definitely makes him nervous," he says.

Braun pats his buddy on the back, ruffling up his hair. "Well, let's find somewhere to set up camp," he says. "You and your buddy there need some rest, it seems like."

As they continue their search for a safe and comfortable place to set up camp, Bálor breaks off a section of the chili pepper chocolate he got from S.H.I.E.L.D, and eats it to calm the Demon down after his sudden outburst. Both him and the Demon enjoy the sweet, spicy flavor bursts when they bite into it, and the Demon forgets about being pissed off at Braun and his vessel. This is delicious, and it makes him happy. Comfort sparks of warmth fill up Bálor's chest.

Even while he is calm though, the Demon keeps a close eye on the edge of the woods. Whether the others believe him or not, whether they feel it or not, there's still a stalker on their trail.


	14. Chapter 14: Gold Ashes

Chapter 14: Gold Ashes

Everyone knew they couldn't prevent it. There wasn't one person who firmly believed it wouldn't happen at some point. They just didn't have any idea _who_ it would be. It was like playing a game of Russian Roulette.

Well, it just happened.

And of all people, it had to be his younger brother.

Someone who hadn't fucked with Stephanie and Paul in years. Hadn't had a reason to. But they still chose to fuck with him.

It's fucked up.

It should have been him. But he couldn't pick. He had no control and never did. Never will.

His spunky, quick-witted little brother was Stephanie's first victim. He should have known that he would try to pick a fight with one of the guards as soon as he came in contact with one. It didn't come to mind that his brother would lose... Take a knife straight through the gut with no mercy. He couldn't save him, either, and that kills him.

He now stands with Shane just before sunset in the middle of a beach. Somewhere private. In the sand below rests his beloved brother, wrapped in a white sheet, nice and tightly. Shane allowed him to do the honors of setting flame to the body, and together they stand in silence, save for the rushing waves of the ocean. The two of them watch the golden flames dance over his brother's body, bringing him to eternal rest, where he'll never have to deal with pain, or sorrow, or any of Stephanie's intolerance ever again. That's all he can ask for. All he wants for his little guy.

He and Shane just stand and watch the fire until they've trickled out to the tiniest flame of a candlelight, and that tiny candlelight wafts out into the pink and orange sunset air as nothing but a puff of smoke. Until his brother is nothing but ashes.

Shane gets to work with putting those ashes somewhere that he'll be able to have his brother with him at all times. He chose a small, teardrop-shaped glass bottle with a cork top, a dark, mysterious purple - purple was his brother's favorite color. Right in the middle of the bottle is a black star. It's perfect.

When Shane finishes collecting every last ash, he places it into his palms. The bottle's warm... It's still warm. He takes in a shaky breath, raising the bottle to his lips and planting a gentle kiss right in the center of the star. Then, he safely tucks it into the inside pocket of his black motorcycle jacket, where it'll be safe. Right against his chest.

Shane frowns. "I'm really sorry," he whispers. "I know this is really rough. It's not fair at all. I... I know he just reacted the way his instincts told him to, and it sucks that it got him here. Sucks that he had to die as young as he did. It's just not fair."

He takes a deep breath, and attempts to wipe the tears from his face. Though, it does no good but leave golden smears on his fingertips. Sighing heavily, he gives up on trying. "It's okay. Thank you," he mutters, voice still heavily damp. "Still, though. You don't need to be sorry. It's not your fault." He bites his lip to prevent more tears from falling out. "It's not. It wasn't you that took my brother from me."

Shane sighs softly, patting him on the shoulder. "We'll get her, man," he reassures him. "I'm not gonna let her take him from you unscatched. Everything's going to be taken care of, I swear by it. I'll be right here with you whenever you need me to be." Giving him a nudge with his elbow, Shane allows him another moment of quiet before he speaks again. "Hey, listen. I know that you're probably gonna be hurting a lot tonight. Just make sure you get back to the bunkers before it gets too dark. I have a feeling that they're gonna be out looking for his brother now that he's dead, and the last thing I want is for you to get hurt as well. Take as long as you need out here... Just make sure you're safe for the night."

With that, Shane begins to head back towards his armored vehicle, where he'll head back to his own post for the night, leaving him alone on the quiet beach.

Taking another deep breath, he looks out over the waves, sparkling in the light of the sunset; the glow of the beige sand under the painted sky and the burst of the amber sun as it sinks beneath the ocean on the horizon. Once Shane drives away and the hum of the truck's motor fades off into the distance of the sand dunes, he's left with nothing but the sounds of the ocean lapping against the wet sand, and the beach breeze rustling through the tall grass.

He knows Shane's right. Now that his brother's been killed, they're going to be looking for another target; most likely, it will be him. If he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, he will undoubtedly be the next to go.

But after everything he just lost, after having to watch Shane collect his baby boy's ashes into a jar for him, he doesn't feel like being safe will do him any good. It's not going to do _anyone_ any good. Sure, there are so many superstars out there making sure the streets stay safe for both their companions and innocent civilians alike. But he can't help but feel as though any other deaths would be his responsibility. He lost something so dear to him, he doesn't have the heart to just stay inside and watch it happen to even more superstars.

Fuck staying safe in the bomb shelter. It won't feel worth it in the end. He's going out to patrol the borders around Stephanie's palace. He's going to watch those men of hers with a hawk's eye, never letting one of them get by him. If he sees anyone going in as a prisoner, he's going in after them to assure they come out liberated. Hell, that palace is practically going to be under _his_ control, whether Stephanie and Paul know it or not.

Cody Rhodes' death won't be going unpunished.

Dustin Rhodes, face practically cleaned from his signature gold and black paint by his tears, begins to walk in the direction of the danger zone: the outer fences of Stephanie's palace. His first night on duty is tonight.


	15. Chapter 15: One Bottled Sprite, Please

Chapter 15: One Bottled Sprite, Please

Both Daniel Bryan and Kane knew it'd be happening soon. As hard as it is to be leaving his best friend to fend off his sister, they both knew very well it's what Shane would want. So, they're giving into his wishes and they're finally getting out of New York. For the safety of themselves, and the well-being of their four kids.

Just the action they're taking to get out of here and go someplace safe is enough to make Shane happy, and give him the relief and strength he needs to take on Stephanie, when the time is right. All he can ask for is that his best friend and his kids are safe and sound.

As the sun is setting, Bryan and Kane stand at the shuttle stop, getting ready to leave the city, Shane and the Shield joining to see them off. The kids seem to be excited to finally be going somewhere, getting to run free and have the freedom they deserve to have, as they're excitedly running around the adults, playing with each other before they get going. Bryan and Kane are just happy to see that they're finally eager and restless for a good reason, rather than really wanting to go outside after being cooped up all damn night.

Andrew Bryan, one of the younger twins, pounces like a tiger and clutches onto Ambrose's leg. "I'm gonna be a stronger wrestler than you!" he laughs, trying his hardest to pull him to the ground. "I'm gonna practice every day when we go away. Aghh, but _you're so heavy!_ I'm gonna lift so many weight so I can be strong like you, too!"

Ambrose laughs, scooping the little guy up into his arms, and giving his hair a ruffle. "Oh yeah? That right?" he plays with him. "I guess we'll have to see about that next time I see you! You're a little guy!"

Andrew puckers his lips, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm not little!" he claims. "I'm a big guy!"

Rollins snickers, giving Ambrose a punch to the arm. "Yeah, Ambrose," he says. "Andrew's a big guy. You're just dumb. Isn't he, Drew?"

Of course, Andrew nearly dies laughing at that one. "Yeah! Dean is dumb!"

Ambrose shakes his head, still smiling. "I dunno, kid. You'll have to prove yourself," he continues to tease him.

The two older twins - Gavin and Woody Bryan - both give Shane a hug around the shoulders, and he smiles warmly, returning another tight one to them.

"Thank you, Uncle Shane," Woody tells him. "Thanks for protecting us. We know you work really hard for us to be safe. And we liked it when you came and visited even though you were busy. I know it made Daddy happy." Of course, Woody doesn't know all the details of what Shane does when he isn't around, but based on what he does know, he knows that Shane is a goddamn hero who puts his life up for all the WWE superstars. And that's huge.

Shane gives Woody's shoulder a pat. "Aw, think nothing of it kid," he chuckles softly. "I'm just doin' my job. Keeping you kids safe is important to me. That's why I told your Daddy to get you kiddos the heck outta here. That way you can live your lives like _kids._ I know that's what your parents wants... And I want that, too. You should be having fun."

Gavin looks to Shane with beady eyes. "We'll miss you, though," he says. "It'll be weird not seeing you all the time."

"I'll miss you guys too," Shane says. "But don't worry; as soon as everything's over, no matter how long it takes, I'll come see you. I'm excited; I bet you boys will be even smarter and stronger than you are now. You've been through so much here in New York; now do me a favor, and put it to good use, wherever you end up." Looking over his shoulder to be sure Bryan isn't listening, he leans back into the two boys and tells them, "And take care of Daddy for me. I know he's going to be worrying over me, but you let him know that I've got everything under control."

Woody and Gavin smile. "We will," they promise him.

While the others are talking to the kids, Reigns smile to Bryan and Kane, knowing Bryan has some doubt in his head. "You two gonna be alright?" he asks.

Kane nods, reassuringly. "I'm sure we'll be alright," he says. "Things will be a lot safer for the kids... For us." He runs his fingers through Bryan's thick, fluffy, light brown hair. "Right, angel?"

Bryan takes a deep breath, and nods softly. "Right," he says. "It's hard leaving you to deal with this, though. I know it'll be hard for you, but you got this. Just be careful, alright? Stephanie might be a clever bitch, but you're smart. You've got what you need to work around it."

Reigns gives his shoulder a rough pat. "Hell yeah we do," he says. "We're gonna take care of all that. It's our job, dude. Your job is to take care of the kids. Sit back... Relax. We'll check in on you as soon as it's over with."

Finally smiling, Bryan pulls Reigns in for a tight hug. "You guys are the best. Don't forget that. Ever," he says.

Satisfied and relieved, Kane ruffles Bryan's hair again with one hand, and gives Reigns a brotherly slap on the back.

Everyone has their attention turned, and of course, little Josh Bryan, the other younger twin, takes the opportunity to be a bit mischievous. He can wander off, just for a short minute while everyone's distracted. He's got some quarters in his pocket. Two-seventy-five, the last time he counted. And around the corner of that building, just out of sight of the group, there's a soda vending machine. He _could_ step away for just a second to buy a Sprite. He's gonna need it for the ride out of the city; how else is he going to hold himself over until they can get dinner? Technically, he's not supposed to leave his parents' sight, since there are too many "bad guys" going around. But it's not like he'll be gone long, and it's _definitely_ not like they'd leave without him.

Heck, let's go!

After making sure he's definitely not being watched by the adults, Josh slips away, quickly skittering to the other side of the building where the vending machine is. It's a little dark at first, but it's alright, since he can still see the neon signs of the city. Nothing really scares Josh - he's a pretty daring kid.

It's not until he's in the back alleyway that he realized his plans were kind of drastic.

Dang... It's really dark back here, even for Josh. Normally, the dark doesn't freak Josh out. But this is a creepy sort of dark. _Why did he choose this way again? Oh yeah, it was quicker._ Swallowing his fears and putting on his big boy pants, Josh walks a little bit faster so he won't have to stay in the dark for this long.

 _Oh gosh, this is wicked creepy._ It's so gross and dusty back here... And his footsteps echo off the cement walls; it's like a haunted castle or something. And _did something just move over there?_ Holy crap, there could be someone against the wall, and Josh would never know because he can barely see anything. It's like something straight out of a horror movie... As brave as he is, he's never seen a horror movie... His parents won't let him.

Light on his feet, putting his head down and nearly running, Josh doesn't stop moving until he sees the light again. And when he looks up, he's greeted with the front of the building, and a wave of relief.

 _Ugh, phew, he knew he could make it._

After nothing bad happened, Josh decides he'll just risk getting caught by his parents and go the long way back. Way better than going the scary way.

With that, Josh hums to himself, and begins to take his quarters out from his pocket, counting them as he puts them into the slot to get his Sprite.

 _Twenty-five cents... Fifty cents... Seventy-five cents..._

Josh is counting out his quarters and making sure he puts in enough for a bottle of Sprite, still humming to himself.

Though, he's brought to a halt when there's the sudden sensation of a cloth around his face, and he gasps sharply.

The small child finds himself in someone's grasp... It must be someone strong, because when he tries to squirm away from them, he finds that he can't move a muscle. He quickly finds out that he can't yell out for help, either, because of the cloth around his face. No one could hears him because his voice is muffled. He just keeps breathing in whatever stuff that smells like trash every second, considering he's nearly hyperventilating with fear.

Within seconds, Josh is unconscious, being carried away by whoever

The only thing that remains are the last two quarters he needed to buy the Sprite.


	16. Chapter 16: Will You Be My Friend?

Chapter 16: Will You Be My Friend?

Not many people would choose to just down a can of beans, would they?

Bayley knew that in the past, she wouldn't have. But these bacon and onion beans are really good. They've got a savory taste to them, and since they were cooked over the fire, they've got a certain smoky hint to them.

Camping dinner is interesting. Bayley knew she could get used to this.

"My gosh," she laughs, leaning against the log Elias set out beside the fire for them. "I'm so happy and full."

Elias, strumming out a few chords on his guitar, smiles softly. "Good. That's what I'm looking for," he says, closing his eyes gently. "I know this is kind of rough, and all I can ask for is that you're enjoying yourself out here." He then stops playing, glancing down at Bayley. "You cold? Need a blanket or something?"

Bayley smiles, giving his leg a push. "Nah, I'm alright," she says. She turns back towards the fire, feeling the intense heat from the titian flames against her face. It feels good, just like basking in the sun, even though it's gotta be the middle of the night by now. "The fire's warm."

Her optimism makes Elias chuckle. "Alright," he says. "If you change your mind, I'll go grab one for you."

With that, Bayley stretches herself out in the grass, and finds herself just staring out into the night sky, dancing with billions of glittering stars. As she listens to Elias' soothing tune, she finds herself drifting more and more into space, becoming one with those stars in spirit.

It must be so free out there... Nothing to worry about in the slightest. Pretty, too. Just floating amongst millions upon billions of other beings that sparkle and shine just like you do... Gazing upon the different colors of the planets surrounding. So quiet and relaxing.

Huh... Come to think of it, maybe Bayley is a star, in a way... Before everything with Stephanie, during her time in the ring, she became just like the stars of the Milky Way...

The thought of being one with the stars in outer space is so pacifying... Hypnotizing. Being so warm and happy, with a full stomach, Bayley finds the thought of stars slowly guiding her into a deep, powerful sleep.

* * *

The forest is no longer the one she fell asleep in.

Rather, Bayley finds herself in a dark, decaying forest. The fire's been completely stamped out. She's no longer wrapped up in her blanket like she was before... As a matter of fact, _all_ of their camping equipment is gone.

Sitting up sharply, Bayley looks around the area where the campsite was no more than a few minutes ago. Maybe it's because it's so dark, or because she's not fully awake... But Bayley doesn't see Elias anywhere.

She begins to panic, breathing heavily and quickly, looking around to try to figure out where she ended up. But it's so dark that nothing seems familiar. If she is in the same place, she'd never even know. Besides, she wouldn't know where to go, since Elias went missing. It isn't like he just left or anything; he'd never go anywhere just all of a sudden.

Something must have happened... It's the only reason there's no sign of Elias anywhere.

 _No,_ Bayley tells herself firmly. _Elias is fine. He's not missing. The fire went out... He's probably just looking for something to restart it. He didn't go far._

Figuring he's just nearby, Bayley calls out, quietly, but still audibly so that Elias could hear if he really is nearby. "Hey, Elias?"

She then waits... Staying still, she just listens.

Nothing answers except for the eerie, ominous silence.

The longer it stays quiet, the faster Bayley finds her breathing. "E-Elias?" she tries again, finding her voice growing in volume. "Y-you're okay, right?"

Still, nothing. It's like Elias really did go missing.

Feeling queasy with fear, Bayley rises to her feet, stumbling and falling to her knees a few times in the process. When she's finally up, she slowly turns herself in a circle, straining her eyes to find human figures amongst the trees, just in case Elias is nearby and he didn't hear her... Or if there's someone who isn't Elias...

But there's just _no one._ It's like Bayley is _completely_ alone in the woods. She has no idea where she is, if this is even the campsite she was in with Elias before she fell asleep, or what she's supposed to do now that she's alone.

Does she wait until it's morning and there's some sort of light? No... No, she can't just wait and be a sitting duck. If there really was someone that abducted Elias, the last thing she wants to do is stick around and wait for them to take her, too. Who the hell knows what time it is, anyways? It could be hours before light even begins to show up.

Bayley finds herself quaking in fear, holding her stomach. This had to be just about the worst thing that could've happened to her out here. Ending up alone, no idea where she even is, or what even happened. Her mind is so clouded by the fear that she has no idea what she should be thinking.

Eventually, after standing paralyzed in her spot for what feels like hours, Bayley comes up with a theory in a short burst of rational thought. Maybe this isn't the campsite, after all. Perhaps she and Elias were both abducted at the same time... They somehow lost her on the way to _wherever they were going,_ but they were able to keep hold on Elias.

That finalizes it. Without getting caught, Bayley has to figure out where Elias was... Without getting caught by their captors.

Mustering up some sort of bravery, Bayley begins to walk further into the forest, trying to stay light on her feet, watching carefully in front of her. But it's hard to stay quiet... With every step she makes, the leaves crunch under her sneakers, or a twig snaps, echoing through the empty forest. _Dammit,_ if the kidnappers are nearby, they're going to know she's here. No mistake. _They can hear her._

To try to minimize her whereabouts, Bayley tries to stay hidden amongst the trees. Because she physically can't keep her steps quiet, she only moves to the nearest tree, where she stays and makes sure no one knows where she is, before she moves onto the next one... Advancing further in the woods to figure out where Elias is. If someone's in the woods that isn't Elias, there's at least a chance that she'll be mistaken as a deer, and no one will come after her.

Perhaps moving like this isn't getting Bayley very far very fast. But at least she's moving now. It'll be harder to catch her because she's moving, and at some point, she'll have to run into Elias...

Just as Bayley sees her next target - an oak tree with an unusually large trunk - she prepares herself, looks around to make sure no one's around and watching, then takes off. As she runs, she keeps her eyes on the tree... She's almost there... Just keep running, and she'll be there soon... Damn, even though she's only ten or something feet away, it feels like she's running miles.

Bayley's gaze remains completely focused on the next tree. So focused that she finds herself confused and disoriented when she suddenly finds herself lying on the ground, staring up at the cloudy, night sky.

Realizing that something just stopped her from getting to where she was just trying to go, Bayley begins to panic. _It's fine. It's fine, it's fine... I probably just tripped,_ she tells herself to calm back down.

Breathing deeply to nail in that everything's okay, Bayley sits herself back up, and begins to get on her feet. Before she even has the chance to even start, she finds there's a set of eyes staring right back at her.

She's barely able to swallow back a scream as she pushes herself backwards in the dirt. Her eyes have to adjust before she can make out the figure that stands in front of her... Blinking hard a few times, she finds that the eyes in front of her are those of a child.

A little boy, no more than six years old. He's alive... He's surely alive. Definitely just as scared as Bayley is. His eyes hold such an otherworldly fear, as he breathes quickly and heavily as well.

No way does this kid want to hurt Bayley... He doesn't know where he is, nevermind have the means to hurt her.

Breathing calmly so the kid realizes everything's okay, Bayley sits on her knees, lowering herself down to his level so he knows that she won't hurt her, either. "Hi," she whispers softly. "Hey there, buddy... My name's Bayley. What's yours?"

The kid tries to control his breathing for a moment before he answers in a squeaky, terrified little voice. "J-J... Jacob..." he answers.

Bayley smiles, trying to keep her warm personality even though her eyes mirror fear. "Well... It's nice to meet you, Jacob," she says. "What are you doing out here all by yourself?"

Jacob breathes shakily, once again trying to catch himself before he speaks again. "I-I-I got lost..." he sobs. "My family was out here... A-and I got lost..."

It breaks her heart to hear. It's one thing for her and Elias to get lost... But it's another thing if it's a child. Bayley knows she has to do something. She can't just leave him here, even if she doesn't know where the hell she is either.

She forces a reassuring smile, and tells Lucas softly, "It's okay, Lucas... I'm lost, too. I'm looking for my friend," she whispers. "Here, you can come with me, alright? We can look together... And once we find my friend, we'll be able to find your family." She grabs Lucas's hand, and the two of them slowly stand up. "We're not lost if we're together, right?"

The small child nods. "O-okay," he agrees.

Breathing out and telling herself that she's not really alone anymore, Bayley takes Lucas's hand, and they continue on through the woods. Of course, it's too dark to find any sort of trail in the dirt... But she tries to find some other sort of sign that'll tell them if Elias is around... Like maybe his shawl or something. Maybe even something that might belong another camp somewhere nearby... That might be a sign of the kid's parents or something.

It's quiet, making it quite easy for Bayley to scan the ground in great detail. The few soft sounds that accompany the two of them are their footsteps, and Lucas's helpless, terrified breath. Although it helps in being able to hear if someone's following them, or if she hears Elias calling out for them, but it's far too silent in the woods. Even if she doesn't feel alone anymore, Bayley still feels like it's too lonely. Lucas clearly doesn't know what to say... He's just so scared. It's always been Elias that would talk to Bayley if she got scared sleeping in the middle of the woods, when there's a covering of dark clouds to shade out the moon.

In hopes to make both Lucas and herself feel better, Bayley, still scanning the ground desperately, tries to talk to the child. "How are you doing?" she asks, voice still quiet in case someone they can't see is listening to them.

Lucas takes another shaking breath, squeezing onto Bayley's hand a little tighter. "I-I-I'm scared..." he squeaks. Bayley can barely hear his voice it's so small and weak.

"Well, that's alright. It's dark, and... Kind of lonely," she says. She looks up briefly, grinning softly to Lucas. "Can I tell you a secret?"

In response, Lucas nods his little head.

"I'm a little scared, too," she tells him, voice low to a whisper; it is a _secret,_ after all. "But it's okay. I just remember that I have to be brave for my friend. He needs me, and I just keep telling myself that. And just remembering that I have to find him is helping me be not so afraid." Still smiling, Bayley gives Lucas a nudge. "Hey, maybe if you just remember that your family needs you, it'll help you be brave."

Finally, that gets Lucas to smile, even a little bit. "Y-yeah," he agrees. "I will. I'll be brave for my family. They need me."

Bayley giggles. "That's it!" she praises him. "We'll find them in no time. I promise." Even as she still smiles on the outside, Bayley just hopes she can keep that promise for poor Lucas.

It feels like the two of them have been walking forever. Underneath her poncho, Bayley begins to sweat, feeling hot and uncomfortable. The one thing compelling her to keep it on is remembering that Elias told her that she'll freeze to death if she takes it off... Literally. She doesn't have time to drop dead... She has to find Elias. She can only hope that the fact that she hasn't found his cloak a good sign... It means he still has it on, best case scenario. He won't freeze and die, either. She also makes sure Lucas keeps his little jacket on as well so he won't get cold.

While her mind is elsewhere, and she's distracted by looking for Elias' poncho on the ground, the unexpected comes out of nowhere. Suddenly, the ground begins to shake, and the air becomes pierced by a shrill noise... Sirens.

 _Shit... Shit, they've found her. If they haven't found Elias, they've definitely found her._

Bayley's chest becomes tight, and her breathing immediately picks up. But she does her best not to panic, not in front of the child. "Lucas," she whispers, turning sharply to look at him. As she expected, he's frozen in fear, beginning to hyperventilate as his terrified eyes become wide as an owl's. Thankfully, he doesn't scream... It's okay if he's scared, as long as he's screaming. To get his attention, she gives his shoulder a shake. "Lucas, duck down, make yourself tiny, tiny tiny. Quick! Do it!"

Bayley doesn't move until she's sure that Lucas's going to do it. And he does: he drops to the ground and curls into a tiny ball, hands covering his head. Breathing out in relief, Bayley does it too: gets down and covers her head. Hopes that whoever it is goes right by them.

She knows right away that they're trying to clear out the area by bombing when there's a loud explosion sound, followed by a heavy wind blowing over Bayley. All she can do is hope they don't drop another, and curl up just a little tighter for safety.

There's a series of vicious screaming whistles, growls of engines, and the howl of the radiation wind surrounding Bayley. The terrifying noises of danger make her fear even more for her life, and twice as much for Elias. This is definitely Stephanie's men. Did they find her? What the hell does she do if they find her? _She has a child with her... A child that isn't hers and needs to get back to his family. She_ promised _they'd find his parents!_

Bayley feels as though she's been laying on the ground in a heap for eternity. She's got dirt in her eyes and nose, and she's probably eaten a good amount of it too. But that's the least of her concerns... Her worst fear is that this isn't a false alarm.

But eventually, after the wind dies down and there's no more wood chips being flung her way, everything is still. The air is quiet, there's no more earthquake.

It's like it never even happened.

Even still, Bayley doesn't move for another minute, just in case there's an aftershock, or it happens again.

But it doesn't. That's it. It's really over.

Sitting up slowly, only to her knees at first, Bayley coughs up all the dirt she inhaled, her throat feeling dry as a desert. Hell, it may as well have become a desert while she was hunkered down. Seeing as she can't open her eyes all the way, she works as safely as possible to rub the dirt out of her eyes, though, it probably isn't doing much good other than driving it in further.

Then, she looks to her right to make sure Lucas is okay, too. Ever since everything stopped, he's been really quiet.

It doesn't take Bayley long to figure out why.

Lucas isn't next to her, like he was before. He's totally gone.

Completely panicked now, she checks the ground for footprints to make sure he didn't get so scared that he ran away. But she doesn't see any footprints at all... Besides, Lucas was so terrified by whatever happened that he didn't seem to want to run away.

"Lucas?" Bayley whispers into the darkness, voice wavering.

But just as there wasn't a reply from Elias... There's no reply from Lucas. He's gone.

Feeling tears come to her eyes as her chin trembles, Bayley struggles to her feet, nearly collapsing back down a few times. "Lucas?" she tries again. "Lucas, where are you?"

Only the silence answers Bayley.

Finally breaking down in tears, Bayley slowly turns in a circle, hoping, _praying_ that Lucas is just hiding. He isn't. There's no sign of him anywhere, not even that scared, labor breathing Bayley became accustomed to.

She's alone again. Totally alone. And she hasn't the slightest clue of where Elias, or Lucas, or his family are. They've all been separated, and there's no way in hell to know that they're still alive at all.

Breaking down into tears, Bayley desperately chews on her fingernails as her heart races, just trying to figure out what the hell she's supposed to do now. Does she keep going? Does she stay here until someone else finds her? What if she chooses the latter option and Stephanie and her men end up finding her? They're obviously dropping bombs to try to figure out where she is. It won't be long before they pinpoint the right place.

Ominously, Bayley doesn't even get the chance to make a decision.

There's a voice behind her. The voice of a child... Whispery... Almost like an echo. Bayley almost swears she's hearing things... This isn't real.

" _Hello..."_

Gasping, Bayley turns around sharply to see who's talking to her.

A girl. A girl that's perhaps twelve years old. Her skin is moonlight, in that it's both pale, and it has a glow to it. Her hair is short, stopping at her shoulders with an airy curl, and platinum blonde in color. Her eyes are big... They're the most mysterious doe eyes Bayley has ever seen. And her white nightgown... It flutters around her legs with the wind.

What Bayley sees 一 this girl 一 is like something straight out of a nightmare.

This time, Bayley is unable to hold back a scream of terror.

Without changing her expression from the stone face she wears, the girl shakes her head. " _No..."_ she whispers. " _Do not be afraid. I want to be your friend."_

Bayley can't speak. Her voice is caught in her throat. Sobbing softly, she continues to chew on her fingernails, chest heaving with scared breaths.

The girl just continues to stare at Bayley. " _I can help you,"_ she tells her. " _I know where everyone is."_ She takes a step forward, urging Bayley to take a step back, unsure of who or what this being is.

But the girl continues to keep her eye square on Bayley. For a long time, she says nothing. It almost comes out of nowhere when she asks Bayley, " _Will you be my friend?"_

Figuring that this girl is an all-knowing spirit or something, Bayley decides that she should just give her a chance... Maybe she really does know where everyone is. Still shaking all over. " _O-okay..."_ Bayley agrees.

Breaking her ice-cold expression, the girl smiles. Though, oddly, the expression in her eyes never changes. It's still that dead, emotionless light. " _Okay,"_ she says. " _Follow me."_

With that, the girl abruptly turns on her heel, and begins to run through the forest. Filling with some sort of hope, Bayley chases after her, nearly tripping over her own feet. All of a sudden, she's filled with a certain euphoria, and just for a bit, she stops crying. She's no longer scared. _Maybe she's being saved._

Bayley keeps her eyes square on the glowing girl skipping happily in front of her, racing to keep up with her. Even as the girl takes sharp turns through the trees, feet ahead of her, Bayley manages to keep up, really hoping there's something good up ahead, where this girl is taking her. She can only hope, and there's nowhere else for her to go. No one she can fully trust.

It must be good, considering the girl occasionally turns around to make sure Bayley is still following, before turning back around to continue moving.

After following the girl's twisted path, descending deeper and deeper to the dark woods, Bayley figures they've made it when the girl stands still, in the middle of a clearing. It's much different than the rest of the forest... There's an odd patch of grass here.

But that's it. There's nothing else, and if there is, it's too dark to see.

 _It's fine. It's okay,_ Bayley tries to tell herself. _Maybe she's lead me out. Maybe we're just not in the woods anymore, and there's still walking to do. That'd be good, right? Means everyone's in a safe place._

Much to Bayley's dismay, she finds that she's wrong. Really wrong.

The girl, with that painfully neutral expression once again, looks back at Bayley. There's no trace of a smile... If anything, it looks like there's a sad, damp gleam to the girl's eyes. " _Here,"_ she whispers. " _We're here."_

Bayley suddenly feels her fear melt away, and it becomes replaced with a random bout of annoyance. "What?" she questions, voice small and discouraged. "There's nothing here. Why did you bring me here if you didn't even have anything to show me?"

The girl just stares at Bayley, head cocked to the right slightly, still as a statue. It's as if she's frozen.

The tears start up again, and Bayley feels her breath break, and she's hyperventilating all over again. "Please! Don't just look at me! Say something!" she sobs. "My friend is _missing._ And I was just with some kid that got separated from his parents, and now he's gone too. If you're here to help me, then _help me."_

Continuing to watch Bayley, tears stream down the girl's cheeks. " _No..."_ she whispers. " _We are here."_

The girl glows brighter... Not bright like a flashlight, but just enough to light up the surrounding area.

As it turns out, the girl wasn't lying to Bayley.

They really are here.

On the ground at their feet lies Lucas. Though, if Bayley hadn't known what he looked like before, she wouldn't have recognized him at all. The small child's body lies unconscious in the grass before them... And it seems as though he's surrounded by wood... Charred wood. The logs are placed in an orderly fashion... Perhaps like that of a firepit.

Lucas has been burned to death. Black and red blisters cover his entire little body, melting his fingers together, and mutilating his face... Making him unrecognizable. Scary to even just look at, knowing this is the body of a _child._ The one thing left of him is the little, red winter hat he was wearing with the white and black pom-pom at the top.

Looking back at the girl, still standing there and silently crying, Bayley falls into a fit of hysterics, and screams at the top of her lungs.

* * *

The forcefulness of her scream suddenly makes Bayley jolt. Suddenly, there's no longer a patch of grass in front of her, no glowing girl in tears, no dead, burnt body of a child. In fact, she's not in that odd part of the forest anymore, where she's alone and hasn't the slightest idea of where she is.

When she looks around, Bayley knows where she is. She knows _exactly_ where she is.

This is her campsite that she fell asleep in with Elias.

In front of her, there's the firepit they were cooking on earlier... Though, the flame isn't much more than a few burning coals at this point. It's a bit cold, considering the fire is what was keeping them warm. And Elias... Oh, _Elias._ Bayley finds him sitting nearby on a log, looking up at the sky, strumming out a few chords and nodding his head with the soft tune he's creating in his head. Perfectly safe. He never left Bayley's side, just as he promised he wouldn't.

Everything that just happened... With Lucas, and with the girl... It was all a dream. Quite the nightmare.

As soon as she realizes she's awake and safe with Elias, Bayley breaks out in tears. It's soft at first, but with the trauma behind what happened in the dream, it only becomes harder and louder with every second.

The sudden peep out of Bayley grabs Elias' attention, and he perks up, worried. Knitting his eyebrows and setting down his guitar, he crawls over to where Bayley currently sits on the ground. Knowing how scared she is, he wraps an arm around her shoulders, peering down at her. "Hey... Hey, it's okay," he reassures her gently. "It's alright. You're awake now. It'll all be okay."

Looking up at Elias with teary eyes, Bayley looks into his soul for reassurance that she's safe. In response, he grins gently, nodding as a silent, " _it is okay. Really."_ And Bayley wraps her arms around his neck.

For a good minute, Elias just allows her to cry on his shoulder, knowing that this is probably one of the worst dreams Bayley's had on this excursion this far. In hopes of soothing her, Elias gently rubs her back, just hushing her gently... And when she's ready to talk, she does.

Sniffling, Bayley looks up at Elias once again. "Oh my gosh, Elias," she whimpers. "I had the worst dream..." She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. "I've never been so scared in my life, and... It felt so real..."

Elias holds her a little closer, rubbing her shoulder gently. "I figured it was a bad dream. You've been having a lot of those lately," he says. "This one seems to be the worst one though." Lowering his voice, he shrugs softly. "You wanna talk about it? Sometimes getting it off your chest makes it not so scary. The stage is all yours, if you do. I'm here to listen."

That's just what Bayley does. She tells Elias everything that happened in the nightmare: about waking up not knowing where she was, or where Elias went. Finding Lucas... The bombings in the forest and sitting up to find Lucas missing... And that weird girl, who lead Bayley to Lucas' dead body.

Elias listens to everything Bayley says, and realizes why she's so scared. It'd be just about the scariest thing ever to wake up all alone in the middle of the woods, especially knowing that Stephanie and her men are coming after them. Elias doesn't blame Bayley for being so scared. He'd be scared if that happened to him, in a dream or in real life.

"Damn, that's... That's scary," Elias says softly. "It won't happen, though. I swear on it, Bayl. I'll never leave you."

Bayley clings onto him a little tighter. "Good," she whispers. "That's good." Just being protected by Elias, and being able to talk everything out with him makes her feel a lot better. She don't know how she'd survive without him.

For a while, the two of them sit and talk to take Bayley's mind off of being afraid, mostly about the constellations, since Elias is good at those. It brings Bayley right back to the place she was in before she fell asleep, and she feels at peace again. They might be in the middle of the woods, God only knows where, but lying in Elias' lap and watching the stars brings her into her happy place. Chases the nightmares away.

It doesn't take long before Bayley finds herself feeling sleepy all over again. Though, she only finds herself in a comatose state, unable to lull herself back to sleep.

Elias can tell too... So he tries the one thing he knows gets him to fall asleep when he's having a rough night. Bayley's head still nestled in his lap, snoodled up in their wool blanket, he grabs his guitar, strumming a soft song and singing gently under his breath, just loud enough for Bayley to hear.

" _I saw you standing there,_

 _Sandy brown hair, the way it came tumbling town,_

 _Just like a waterfall._

 _And if you need a light,_

 _I'll be the match to your candle,_

 _My darling, I'm ready_

 _To burst into flames for you."_

Sure enough, Bayley listens to Elias' voice, and finds herself able to close her eyes... Finally relaxing. Feeling sleepy...

" _I was just coasting 'til we met._

 _You remind me just how good it can get._

 _Well, I've been on fire, dreaming of you._

 _Tell me you don't, it feels like you do._

 _Looking like that, you'll open some wounds..."_

Seeing as Bayley's begun to drift off, Elias continues playing his guitar, just random chords, humming with the song he makes off the top of his head. Soon enough, Bayley's fast asleep in his lap, and Elias knows that she'll stay asleep for the rest of the night. After everything, she deserves a good rest. And if she does end up waking back up, Elias will be there for her. Just like he promised.

Elias continues playing softly to tire himself out as well. When he finds his eyelids drooping, heavy as bricks, he plays one last chord, and places his guitar aside. Looking down at Bayley's sleepy face, Elias grins, stroking her hair out of her face and leaning his head back against the log.

"G'night, Bayl," he whispers gently. "Have a better sleep for me."


	17. Chapter 17: AMBER Alert

Chapter 17: Amber Alert

"Alright, boys, we're gonna get going soon," Bryan says to his kids once everyone's said their goodbyes, and the shuttle out of the city pulls up to the stop.

Obediently, everyone joins Kane and Bryan, knowing that it's time to go. Time to head to a safer place. A happier one, too.

Everyone has their backpacks, and whatever other belongings they're bringing with them. They're ready to board the bus. Just before they get on, though, Bryan makes sure to do a head-count... Make sure everyone's here and paying attention. Wouldn't want any stragglers to get stuck behind, would they?

While the boys are pushing each other impatiently, Bryan looks over each and every one of them. _Gavin... Woody... Andrew... Hey, hang on a second... Josh? Where's Josh?_ Bryan gives the surrounding area a scan, making sure that Josh isn't hiding. It isn't unlike him to get distracted by something and run off.

Worryingly, Bryan doesn't see him. It isn't like he'd run off very far, though... Like he and Kane have been telling him since everything happened with Stephanie, they are not to leave his sight.

Bryan sighs, shaking his head. Maybe he's just so anxious about getting out of New York that his head's not on right and he can't concentrate. A bit scared, he gives Kane a push at the shoulder.

"Dear. Can you do me a favor and count the kids?" he asks his husband. "I feel like I'm missing something."

Confused, Kane nods. "Yeah, yeah, sure. I mean, I'm sure you're fine, but I'll do it," he agrees.

With that, he pauses in his thoughts, and looks over each of the kids, just as Bryan did. _Gavin, there's one. Woody, that's two. Andrew, three. And... Josh. Josh? There's only three. Where's Josh?_

Knitting his eyebrows, Kane leans into Bryan's ear. "You don't see Josh, do you?" he asks.

Speechless, Bryan shakes his head. _Where's their kid? Holy shit, they turn their back for half a second and their kid's missing._

Trying to keep things calm before something bad happens, Kane turns to the others. "Hey guys," he says. "Anyone see Josh?"

Right away, Shane, Reigns, Ambrose and Rollins begin to look around, scanning all around to make sure Josh isn't missing. Even the other kids look around for their brother as well.

But no one sees him, not in the immediate area.

As soon as everyone looks back at the couple with fear in their eyes, Bryan feels his stomach drop. "Josh?" he calls out. "Josh! Where are you, Josh?"

Kane wraps an arm around his husband's shoulder, pulling him in to calm him down. "Hey, hon, it's okay. You know Josh, he's probably just wandering around nearby, looking at rocks or something."

Shane pats Bryan's shoulder. "He couldn'tve gone far," he reassures his friend. "We'll look for him. In just a minute, he'll be safe back in your arms and you'll be out of here with all your kids."

Ambrose looks in the direction of the building they stand by. "I know that there's one of those vending machines in front of this place," he says. "Do you think Josh might have gone to one of those? I know that he's been jingling around these quarters in his pocket."

Trying to calm down, Bryan nods. "Probably. He probably would. Sounds like him to want a drink before we're on a shuttle bus for God knows how long."

"Alright, then we'll start there," Rollins agrees. "We'll find him, Bryan, don't worry."

So they do just that: they walk around in a tight, protected group to the front, where they expect to find Josh. As they're on the dark side of the building, where Stephanie's men could be hiding to get a headstart on eliminating stragglers, both Bryan and Kane hold the rest of their kids close to their bodies for maximum protection. If someone took Josh, they're not gonna take their three other kids.

Bryan feels himself becoming hopeful as the group moves closer and closer to the front of the building. _No doubt we're gonna find Josh there,_ he keeps telling himself. _He's gonna be right there, safe and sound. He's gonna be at that vending machine, spending all his quarters. Sounds like something Josh would do. No one took him, or lead him away. He just can't sit in one place for a long period of time... He wandered away on his own._

When they get to the front of the building, Bryan nearly feels his heart drop straight into his stomach, like a lead brick.

Presented to them clear as day in the lights at the front of the store, they see the vending machine Ambrose mentioned. The lights reflect off of the scratched glass, making it hard to see the drinks and such it has on display. Even if the store is getting ready to close, it's very well-lit.

If someone was standing in front of the vending machine, they'd see them right away.

But they don't see anyone at all. Josh isn't there.

"Oh God no," Kane mutters.

Bryan can't even manage to speak. All he can do is swallow hard, trying his hardest not to panic. _Jesus Christ, where is his baby?_

Shane notices how nervous his friend looks, and he places a hand on his shoulder. "Alright. It's okay," he reassures him softly. "This is just one place out of many, man. He's a small kid, he's gotta be around here somewhere."

Rollins nods. "Yeah, he might be hiding," he points out. "Maybe he thought he heard someone coming and it spooked him. We just gotta look a little harder; there's time before it starts getting dark."

"We should split up. We'll cover more ground that way," Reigns suggests. He points towards Kane, Bryan and Shane. "You guys check the woods; it's not unlikely for a kid to find to woods to be a good hiding place. Bring Gavin and Andrew with you." He then nods at Ambrose and Rollins. "We'll head for the city. There's a bunch of back alleys he could be hiding in. We might just have to call his name and he'll probably come out, if he's there." Reigns beckons for Woody to come with them. "And we'll take Woody with us."

Kane wraps an arm around Bryan's shoulders. "Don't worry, my sweet love," he whispers into his husband's ear. "We'll find him. I promise you we'll do whatever it takes to find him."

Now matter how hard it is for him, Bryan tries to breathe it out so that he can properly focus on trying to find Josh. "Alright," he says finally, bending down to pick up Andrew. "Alright... It's gonna get dark soon. Let's get going; it'll be a lot harder to look when it's dark." _Mostly because we won't be the only ones looking,_ he adds silently, but figures it'd be best not to say it out loud as not to scare himself all over again.

"Cool," Ambrose says. "Meet back here at dark, whether we find him or not. If not, we can try to figure out where to go from there." He then nods his head towards Woody, beckoning for him to come with. "C'mon. Let's go."

With that, Bryan, Kane and Shane split up with the Shield, and they begin their daunting search for Josh.

During the day, Bryan doesn't think the forest is anything significant. But all of a sudden, it seems like something straight from a horror movie. It feels desolate, and visibility is low. None of them know what could be beyond the trees... Some sort of predatory animal. Maybe Josh. Or worse, one of Stephanie's men lurking. The wind whistling through the trees sounds like the mournful howl of a coyote, and it brushes against the back of Bryan's neck, making his hair standing on end. The tiniest of noises, even as tiny as a mouse make him gasp sharply, holding Andrew a little closer to his chest. He knows his most important job is to keep an eye out for Josh... But he's so scared and tensed up he doesn't know where he's supposed to look.

Kane notices his husband's tensity and fear, nearly hugging Andrew to the point where the kid is gasping for breath. Frowning, he reaches over and gives Bryan's back a gentle rub. "It's okay, hon. No need to worry," he reassures him softly. "We're going to find Josh, okay? You're getting all worked up. Now, do me a favor... Take a deep breath for me."

Bryan tries. He really tries to take a deep breath, but he can't. His throat's blocked, his chest feels tight. Breathing's too hard.

"I know, Bryan, honey," Kane says softly. "I want you to breathe for me... It'll help the anxiety. Go on, sweet thing; breathe deeply in."

Bryan looks down at his feet as they walk through the dead, crunching leaves, and does what Kane asked of him. He takes a deep breath in... Nice and deep through his nose.

"Good. Now let that breath out," Kane says softly, ruffling his fingers through Bryan's tangled, fawn brown hair.

Lidding his eyes gently, he lets that breath out through his mouth to allow an even flow of oxygen through his head. It feels much better... Much easier to breathe and relax so they can get through everything.

"That's my boy," Kane praises him, continuing with the soft back rubbing. "Just keep breathing, alright? It'll help you feel better."

While Kane helps his husband breathing, Gavin walks further up ahead with Shane. Shane keeps a tight arm wrapped around Gavin, just to make absolutely sure no one sneaking around will take him without anyone noticing. Worried about his younger brother, Gavin looks towards Shane with glassy eyes. "Uncle Shane," he says, voice squeaky. "Is Josh gonna be okay?"

Shane sighs softly, thinking about his answer very carefully so he won't lie to the kid. "We're gonna make sure he's okay," he reassures the young kid. "We'll look for him until it gets dark, and if we can't find him, we'll just have to see if Shield and your brother found any sign of him." He gives Gavin a squeeze. "Either way, it'll all be okay. We'll make sure things are completely under our control."

Bryan, still a ways back, only heard one part of what Shane said to Gavin. _If_ we can't find him.

 _If._

They can look all the want, but there's the chance that they might not. They might actually have no damn idea where their baby is.

Bryan's calm breathing returns to the choked hyperventilation he was doing earlier.

Kane sighs softly, wrapping an arm around his husband's waist. "Hey, hey, it's alright, sweet thing," he mutter softly into his ear. "Breathe. Remember? Breathe."

"Right. Right," Bryan chokes out, trying to go back to the deep breathing Kane lead him in, no matter how hard it feels, no matter how hard his heart hammers inside of his chest.

Their group of five walks through the woods, keeping their eyes out for any signs of Josh. But for a long while, there's nothing, and it sends them further and further into the woods. It almost starts to feel hopeless, and even Kane can't hide that he's nervous. Maybe Josh isn't here at all?

Though, it really isn't very long before something shows up.

Shane holds out his arms, bringing everyone to a halt as something catches his eye. Something very important.

"Guys?" Shane says softly, grabbing Gavin and burying his face into his chest.

Kane knits his eyebrows, pulling Bryan in close. "What's the matter?" he asks softly.

That's when Kane realizes the horror in Shane's eyes as he points at something on the ground.

A winter hat. Red knit with a white, yarn pom pom, a few strands of black here and there. Right on the front is Kane's signature symbol 一 his name with a cross between the letters. Each of Kane and Bryan's boys have one of their own, each in one of the safety colors.

The red one belongs to Josh.

Kane freezes in his spot, becoming stiff as a statue, unable to do anything but stare. "Oh my _God,"_ he mutters. " _Josh..."_

Shane has to step in quickly to scoop Andrew out of Bryan's arms before Bryan stops breathing, and blacks out 一 collapsing right onto the ground with the trauma.


End file.
